Standardized Assessment Requirement for School Selection
About the Standardized Assessment Requirement
Students applying to criteria-based schools for enrollment in the 2025-26 school year through the 2024-25 School Selection process are required to submit PSSA scores or scores from an approved standardized assessment as part of their school selection application.
- For students applying to 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th grades, the best assessment scores from the previous two school years (2022-23 and 2023-24) will be reviewed to determine eligibility to criteria-based schools.
- For students applying to 5th grade, only the previous year’s assessment scores will be reviewed to determine eligibility to criteria-based schools.
- For students applying to 11th and 12th grades, standardized assessment scores are not required for criteria-based schools.
Students not applying to criteria-based schools are not required to submit PSSA scores or scores from an approved standardized assessment as a part of their school selection application.
PSSA Percentiles
Use the charts linked below to find the lowest PSSA ELA and Math scores needed to meet each of the three major percentile cut points (50th, 65th, and 80th). When referencing scores, please ensure that you are looking at the correct school year, subject, and grade that the student was tested in for each score.
For the full PSSA Percentile Conversion Charts that show the scale score associated with every percentile value, use the charts linked below. When converting scores, please ensure that you are looking at the correct school year, grade, and subject for each score.
If a score spans more than one percentile on the chart, the highest percentile listed for that test score is the correct conversion. For example, in 2022-23, a Grade 7 Math score of 877 would correspond with the 53rd percentile.
PSSA percentile calculations are based on local scores of School District of Philadelphia students.
Approved Standardized Assessments
Reading/ELA and Math scores from the following standardized assessments will be accepted for student applicants who do not have PSSA scores from 2022-23 or 2023-24.
Approved standardized assessments must be administered at a school or testing center.
To qualify, assessments must have been taken for the grade level the student was enrolled in at the time the test was taken.
- California Achievement Test (CAT)
- Educational Records Bureau – Comprehensive Testing Program (ERB-CTP)
- Education Records Bureau – Independent Schools Entrance Exam (ERB-ISEE)
- Students should take the version of the ERB-ISEE assessment that corresponds to the grade level the student is applying to.
- IOWA Test of Basic Skills
- Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT)
- State standardized assessment for a state other than Pennsylvania
- TerraNova
Any version of the listed assessments will be accepted, as long as the assessment norming guidelines are followed when it is scored, and as long as the score provides a national, state, or local percentile ranking per subject assessed. If national percentiles are not available, state percentile rankings will be reviewed. If state percentiles are not available, local percentiles will be reviewed.
The required percentile ranks for each criteria-based school can be found in the School Criteria tab on the School Selection home page.
See our Frequently Asked Questions tab for guidance on which score from each assessment aligns to the application’s Reading/ELA and Math categories.
Frequently Asked Questions
PSSA
Which PSSA score reports will be accepted?
A digital copy of either the PSSA Parent Letter (1 page) or PSSA Student Report (3 pages)* will be accepted.
All uploaded PSSA score reports must be clear, legible, and complete digital copies that show the student applicant’s name, test date, tested grade level, and English Language Arts and Mathematics scale scores for verification. Uploaded reports that do not contain all of this information will be deemed invalid for determining eligibility to criteria-based schools.
*Note: If you are submitting a PSSA Student Report, please ensure that you are uploading all three pages (Page 1 with student applicant name and test date, Page 2 with English Language Arts scores, and Page 3 with Mathematics scores).
When submitting PSSA scores, do applicants need to enter PSSA percentiles in the online application?
Applicants will not need to enter PSSA percentiles on the application when submitting scores and uploading score reports. Applicants will enter just the scale score and tested grade level for each year. The District will convert each PSSA scale score into the associated percentile after the application window has closed.
How can my child take the PSSA if they do not attend a public school?
There are two ways for a student who does not attend public school to take the PSSA:
- Private schools are allowed to administer the PSSA, so your child’s current school could order the PSSA and administer the test in the spring. For this option, someone at your child’s school would contact the PSSA vendor Data Recognition Corp at pacustomerservice@datarecognitioncorp.com or 800-451-7849 and explain that they are a private school wishing to administer the PSSA.
- You can request that your child take the PSSA at your neighborhood public school. For this option, contact your neighborhood school, ask to speak with the school’s PSSA Test Coordinator, and explain that you are requesting that your child take the PSSA at their school this spring. They can provide details of the days and times they are administering the PSSA. Be advised that you will need to follow the school’s testing schedule, and PSSA testing is administered over the course of a number of school days.
Approved Standardized Assessments
What is the process for taking an approved standardized assessment if a student does not have PSSA scores?
Some options available for obtaining approved standardized assessment scores are:
- Purchase this online CAT test and arrange for a private testing center or an official at your child’s school to administer it to them.
- Order paper versions of the IOWA, CAT, or TerraNova from Seton Testing Services and arrange for a private testing center or an official at your child’s school to administer it to them.
- Register to take the SSAT or ERB-ISEE via their websites.
I am submitting an approved standardized assessment, and there are a few different scores on my report that are related to Reading and Math. Which percentiles should I enter on the application?
Find your assessment in the list below to identify which exact Reading and Math scores from that test should be submitted.
TerraNova
- Reading National Percentile/Stanine
- Mathematics National Percentile/Stanine
- Note: Some TerraNova scores are recorded with the national percentile and the grade equivalent (example: 89-7). The first number (89) is the national percentile.
CAT
- For the complete CAT:
- Reading Composite Percentile Rank
- Mathematics Composite Percentile Rank
- For the shorter CAT:
- Reading Comprehension Percentile
- Mathematics Concepts & Applications Percentile
ERB-CTP
- Reading Comprehension National Norm Group %ile Rank
- Mathematics 1&2 National Norm Group %ile Rank
ERB-ISEE
- Reading Comprehension Percentile Rank
- Mathematics Achievement Percentile Rank
IOWA
- Mathematics NPR (only the “Mathematics” NPR, not the “Math Total” NPR)
- Reading NPR (only the “Reading” NPR, not the “Reading Total” NPR)
SSAT
- Reading Percentile
- Quantitative Percentile
I am submitting standardized assessment scores from another state; how do I know what my percentiles are?
The School Selection Assessment Team can help you determine how your state’s scoring system translates to the assessment percentile criteria. Contact us via the School Selection contact form. Select “Standardized Assessment” as the topic.
Are applicants required to submit two years of assessment results?
While applicants have the opportunity to submit two years of ELA/Reading and Math assessment scores in order to meet the assessment criteria, they are only required to submit one year. If only one year of results is available, or if an applicant prefers to submit just one year, this still satisfies the assessment requirement, and final eligibility will be determined based on ELA/Reading and Math percentiles for just that year.
If an applicant who is eligible to waive one criteria is choosing to waive the assessment requirement, do they still need to submit assessment results?
Yes, the applicant must still submit standardized assessment results. A student cannot waive an assessment unless they have participated in the assessment and follow the requirements of including the results in the application. Thus, if a student is applying to criteria-based schools, they will need to submit PSSA or approved standardized assessment scores, even if they are planning to waive the assessment requirement.
Last modified: September 12, 2024
