Schools

Declining PSSA Scores in Pgh Public Schools

The district saw a dip in PSSA scores this year.

For the first time since implementing its "Excellence For All" reform agenda in 2006, Pittsburgh Public Schools saw a district-wide dip in PSSA scores this year.

A chart detailing the Adequate Yearly Progress report for each of the district's schools is attached to this article in PDF format.

Superintendent Linda Lane released a statement about the results late last week.

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“We are extremely disappointed and puzzled by these results since the reforms we have put in place have shown promising results for our students over the past several years,” Lane said. “After making AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) last year, for the second time in three years, the District is committed to understanding this year’s data in order to get back on our positive trajectory.”

In considering factors that were different and may have influenced this year’s outcomes, the Superintendent is considering the impact of the following:

  • Budget reductions that diverted the Academic Team’s time and effort from school management to the development of a new, more cost effective educational delivery model.
  • Staff uncertainty as a result of looming furloughs that were anticipated at an unprecedented level in the District’s 100 year history.
  • The lack of diagnostic data as a result of the State’s elimination of Educational Assistance Program monies that the District used to provide 4Sight assessments.
  • Less than optimal testing conditions for students due to an overabundance of caution by school staff as a result of the additional aggressive security measures required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education for all districts.

The PSSA measures individual student performance and determines the level to which school programs enable students to reach Pennsylvania proficiency standards in reading and mathematics.

PSSA mathematics results decreased from 66.2% in 2011 to 62.4% in 2012 for the number of students scoring proficient or advanced. The district saw continued growth in 8th grade mathematics scores, with 66.7% of 8th graders scoring proficient or advanced, which is an increase of 2.6 percentage points from 2011.

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Other 2012 Mathematics proficiency results include:

  • 3rd grade student performance declined 7.6 points to 66.1% from 73.7% in 2011.
  • 4th grade student performance declined 9.8 points to 67.8% from 77.6% in 2011.
  • 5th grade student performance declined 5.1 points to 61.0% from 66.1% in 2011.
  • 6th grade student performance declined 0.8 points to 64% from 64.8% in 2011. 
  • 7th grade student performance declined 4.0 points to 65.6% from 69.6% in 2011.
  • 11th grade student performance declined 1.7 points to 43% from 44.7% in 2011.


While the overall percent of students scoring proficient or advanced in reading decreased from 60.8% in 2011 to 58.8% in 2012, performance was flat or increased modestly in grade six (up 0.4 percentage points to 52.1%), grade eight (up 1.6 percentage points to 73.4%) and grade 11 (up 0.1 percentage points to 56.3%).  

Other 2012 Reading proficiency results include:

  • 3rd grade student performance declined 5.0 points to 58.3% from 63.3% in 2011.
  • 4th grade student performance declined 5.7 points to 55.6% from 61.3% in 2011.
  • 5th grade student performance declined 3.6 points to 51.9 from 55.5% in 2011.
  • 7th grade student performance declined 0.3 points to 64.4% to 64.7% in 2011.

“While we are committed to having every school make AYP every year, it is not alarming that we are seeing fewer schools attaining this goal as the targets accelerate dramatically each year from 2011-2014,” said Lane.

The State has not released the Academic Achievement Report which will identify the District’s official AYP Status, but based on preliminary data, the district predicts that it will not make AYP for 2012 and its status will change from Making Progress to Corrective Action II.

While the District met its attendance and test participation targets, preliminary data indicates that it did not meet performance or graduation targets.  According to preliminary results, seven Pittsburgh Public Schools made AYP in 2012.

Lane said there will be additional student supports in place for the coming school year. A new teacher leader role will be in place at 40 schools, in which teachers will work together to improve instructional practices, with a focus on literacy and math instruction, through the use of targeted, research-based strategies. The district also will provide eight new specialists and a coordinator to support teachers in their work with students as a result of the district winning a Keystone Literacy Grant of approximately $2 million.

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