With test scores up, the Pittsburgh Promise gaining momentum and more improvement plans in the works, the city school board tonight likely will vote to give Superintendent Mark Roosevelt a $15,000 raise, boosting his salary 7.1 percent to $225,000.

"He's accomplished a lot," said Jean Fink, personnel committee chairwoman.

Mr. Roosevelt joined the district in August 2005 at a salary of $165,000, and his contract calls for a $15,000 raise if the board thinks he has achieved preset goals. He has received $15,000 raises every year.

The raises usually pass with a 7-2 vote, with Mark Brentley Sr. and Randall Taylor voting against them. The pair's concerns about the effectiveness of Mr. Roosevelt's initiatives have failed to sway colleagues in past years.

Tonight, barring last-minute action by Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, the vote on Mr. Roosevelt's raise will be made by no more than eight board members.

Mr. Ravenstahl has not yet appointed a replacement for Heather Arnet, who resigned the District 2 board seat June 30. Eight residents have applied for the position, and Mr. Ravenstahl conducted interviews last week.

The board each year negotiates a series of goals with Mr. Roosevelt, then evaluates his work during the summer.

The 2008-09 goals included an improvement in reading and math scores; increased public confidence in the district through media exposure, communication with parents and promotion of the Promise college scholarship program; and long-range planning for career and technical education, magnet schools and other programs.

Mr. Roosevelt last week released preliminary scores for the state math and reading tests, which are given to students in grades 3 through 8 and grade 11. The data showed that the district made progress in all areas except third-grade reading and math and 11th-grade math.

However, the scores in many cases fell below the 2009 goals that Mr. Roosevelt set in launching his "Excellence for All" improvement campaign three years ago. Mrs. Fink said the gains this year "were not as big as we'd hoped."

One goal was to obtain additional funding for the Pittsburgh Promise college scholarship funding. Despite the poor economy, the Promise raised about $15.2 million, triggering a $10 million matching grant from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Some work remains to be done on other goals Mr. Roosevelt and the board negotiated for 2008-09. For example, while the list of goals called for a "complete plan" for career and technical education, the district is still ironing out details.

Mr. Roosevelt and the board have not yet developed goals for the next school year. After his presentation on test scores Thursday, Mr. Roosevelt said his long-range plan includes initiatives on year-round schooling, parent education and greater use of schools as community centers.