Posted on January 17, 2023
Tags: , ,
Categories: assessments, Keystones, literacy, math, PSSA, system trends

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) requires Pennsylvania public school students to take two types of standardized assessments: the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) in grades 3-8, and the Keystone exams in grades 8-11.

Note that, nationwide, Covid-19 disrupted the administration of state standardized tests in both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years. In spring 2020, the administration of PSSAs and Keystones was canceled entirely in Pennsylvania. In spring 2021, SDP administered PSSAs only to students who had returned to in-person hybrid learning, under guidance from PDE that the results would not be used for accountability purposes. In fall 2021, students who returned to school in person took the Keystones. The 2021-22 school year was the first year that the PSSAs and Keystones were administered normally since 2018-19 (pre-pandemic).

PSSA Performance Trends

The Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) is a standards-based, criterion-referenced test administered to all School District of Philadelphia (SDP) students grades 3-8 near the end of the school year. All students are assessed in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math, while students in grades 4 and 8 are also assessed in Science. Students score in one of four performance groups depending on how well they did on the assessment: Advanced, Proficient, Basic, and Below Basic. This brief describes District-wide performance trends on the PSSAs in ELA, Math, and Science from 2014-15 to 2021-22.

Key findings include:

  • Between 32%-36% of students in grades 3-8 scored Proficient or Advanced on the PSSA ELA from 2014-15 to 2021-22.
  • Between 17%-22% of students in grades 3-8 scored Proficient or Advanced on the PSSA Math from 2014-15 to 2021-22.
  • Between 32%-40% of students in grades 4 and 8 scored Proficient or Advanced on the PSSA Science from 2014-15 to 2021-22.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PSSA PERFORMANCE TRENDS BRIEF

Keystone Performance Trends

In Pennsylvania, high school students are required to take three Keystone exams associated with three Keystone courses: Literature, Algebra I, and Biology. Participating in these exams is required for federal accountability purposes. High school students generally are expected to take the Keystone exams after they have taken the associated course, and most often take the Keystone exams in 9th, 10th, and 11th grades. This brief highlights District-wide performance trends on the Literature, Algebra I, and Biology Keystones from 2014-15 to 2021-22.

Key findings include:

  • Between 38%-46% of students in grades 9-11 scored Proficient or Advanced on the Literature Keystone exam from 2014-15 to 2021-22.
  • Between 17%-21% of students in grades 8-11 scored Proficient or Advanced on the Algebra I Keystone exam from 2014-15 to 2021-22.
  • Between 23%-29% of students in grades 9-11 scored Proficient or Advanced on the Biology Keystone exam from 2014-15 to 2021-22.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE KEYSTONE PERFORMANCE TRENDS BRIEF