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Career Connections Charter High School, known mostly for its school-to-work programs, posted the highest Pennsylvania System of School Assessment scores of any charter school in Allegheny County last year -- even exceeding the Pittsburgh Public Schools' scores in math and reading. Its scores also were higher than all but three of the city's regular public high schools.

The school's scores in math rose last year to 1330 from 1050 in 2002; reading scores jumped to 1300 from 1030. The results prompted some city school board members to ask district staff to meet with officials at the charter school to see whether the academic programs in place there can be used districtwide.

"Their success is unprecedented," said board member Patrick Dowd, a teacher at the Ellis School. "If there is something they're doing that we're not ... we should try to find it out and learn from them."

City schools Chief Operations Officer Phil Parr told board members during an annual review of city charter schools earlier this month that he had never seen test score increases like those at Career Connections.

"They've done something pretty remarkable there," he told board members during the review.

Charter schools are privately operated public schools that are approved by local school districts. The state authorized the creation of charter schools in 1997 to offer new strategies and alternatives to the traditional public education.

Career Connections, which opened to freshmen only in fall 1999, is one of eight charter schools in Allegheny County and now serves about 300 students in grades 9-12. It emphasizes preparing students for the workplace through internships and entrepreneurial programs.

The school operates several student-run businesses, including the Outlet Connection, a discount shop; Cafe Connection, a 1950s-themed cafe for students and staff; and Catalog Connection, a mail-order gift basket business.

Anthony Gonnella, the chief administrative officer of Career Connections, said he is eager to share some of the teaching strategies.

"The common goal is always to make the Pittsburgh city schools the best district in the state," he said. "We're all together in this. They're all the same kids. They should have the best the school can offer."

Still, Gonnella said he attributes some of Career Connections' success to the size of its classes, which average 15 students. "If every school in the city of Pittsburgh could do that, they'd all be successful," he said.

During the school year, students are given pre- and post-tests in every subject area, based on the state's standards. Students who fall below basic in those tests are required to attend tutorial classes either before school, after school or during the summer.

Students also do daily writing exercises and take small practice tests with questions modeled after those on the PSSAs.

"They drilled it into us, how to prepare for it, how much it meant to us to take the PSSA," said Sara Maiers, who graduated from the school in June 2003 as its valedictorian. "We prepped, we did practice tests. To be someone in life, it all comes from good test scores, from graduating and everything else."

The 2003 results were just the second time students from Career Connections, affiliated with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania, took the PSSAs. Only three city high schools had higher test scores: Taylor Allderdice in Squirrel Hill; Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, Downtown; and Schenley in Oakland.

Gonnella said he expects the 2004 PSSA scores "to be at the state standard or above," he said.

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