Northwestern Lehigh School Board President Darryl Schafer said school directors were privileged to be at Lehigh Career and Technical Institute for their Oct. 10 meeting.

Tours of the school were led by Northwestern students Tara Thorson for small engines, Amanda Williams for architectural drafting design, Lynne Kovalchick for advertising design and Dale Bernhard for culinary arts.

President of the Northwestern Lehigh Education Foundation Mark Kistler told the board the foundation received the following funding through the Educational Improvement Tax Credit program: New Tripoli Bank, $100,000; Waste Management, $10,000; and South Tamaqua Coal Pockets, $5,000; Kistler also mentioned the group's fund-raisers including: a golf tournament, 5K run and an upcoming clay shoot on Oct. 21.

Mini-grants in the total amount of $6,500 will pay for sustainable items applied for by teachers.

The Science Club's trip to the state competition was funded by this type of grant.

He presented a check to the school for $123,000. Kistler said everyone gives money to colleges but Northwestern gave him a better education than college did.

"[And] I'm also a basketball coach," he added.

In other matters, Principals Jill Berlet from Northwestern Elementary and Marc Dobbs of Weisenberg Elementary gave an overview of Pennsylvania State System of Assessment tests.

Adequate Yearly Progress requirements were met at both schools, they said.

Reaching the target in reading and math considers not only proficiency but student attendance and participation in the test.

Reading scores are trending up. A jump in math scores was seen when fifth grade classes returned to the elementary schools.

In 2014, schools will beusing Common Core, a national test.

"We think we will be prepared," Berlet said.

The way math is being taught is more analytical for greater understanding.

Writing is improving, helped by the fact that writing is required in science and math.

Dobbs said working with materials rather than just the textbook helped move science scores up.

He said something special is happening in grade four: the transition from grade three to four may be easier than four to five, which has negative growth. The scores can be traced to the student who needs help.

Proficiency and growth are both needed to meet the standards.

Board member Willard Dellicker asked whether after using PSSAs for so many years the teachers think the students are knowledgeable in the course.

Superintendent Mary Anne Wright said the PSSA is the indicator the school is held to.

"We don't know if there is any correlation between the tests and success in 11th grade or college," she said. "We get our children thinking in math. That is a good outcome. We have models for continuous improvement."