Students who entered the Wilkinsburg School District three years ago had no idea they would take part in initiatives that have improved the school's academic success every year since.

The district announced that the 2007-08 school year marked the third year in a row that the district met testing standards for the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment. The change marks a dramatic turn from 2004-05, when the district failed to make adequate yearly progress for the third year in a row and was under corrective action status under the No Child Left Behind Act.

Wilkinsburg met testing standards in 2007-08 by increasing math proficiency proportions 6.5 percent for students in grades six through eight, meeting state standards for math among students in grades three through five, and improving 11th-grade math and reading proficiency.

"We are focused more on using data to drive instruction and for decision making," district Superintendent Archie Perrin said.

Mr. Perrin said reasons for the improvement included the district's implementation of 4Sight Reading and Math testing, which consists of preliminary tests given to students in grades three through eight to determine strengths and weaknesses for PSSA exams, and Scholastic's Read 180 program. He also said staff and administrators became more personally engaged with students through mentoring programs and through the Department of Education's Student Assistance Program, which helps educators identify drug, alcohol and mental health issues among students.

"How do we educate a child who comes in with a myriad of problems from period one?" he asked.

"It's high time for us to look at a child as a human being and say it's our job to take this person from point A to point B. Let's look at the whole child."

Michelle Agatston, program coordinator for Wilkinsburg's Pre-K Counts program, said targeted initiatives at all levels serve to benefit the district as a whole.

"The rigor associated with [Pre-K Counts] standards will help them while they transition into kindergarten. That helps when they go into PSSAs," she said.

"We wanted to up the ante for Wilkinsburg kids and set standards so that kids can get a head start."

Ms. Agatston and Mr. Perrin said the programs wouldn't have thrived without the cooperation of the administration, school board and staff members.

"They've been totally committed to the idea of Pre-K Counts in the district, and that made our jobs easier," Ms. Agatston said.

"We've had very good cooperation with teaching staff, school board and administration. Without that collaboration, none of this would be possible," Mr. Perrin said.