Here is what you need to know about the PSSA. The PA System of School Assessment (PSSA) tests are administered every spring and measure state academic standards which include the skills that children are expected to learn beginning in Kindergarten through High School. These standards are set by the states, not the federal government, and all students must take these tests if they attend public schools. In Pennsylvania, students with learning issues can receive accommodations when sitting for the test.
Academic standards are what public school students are expected to learn in reading, math, science, and other subjects. The goal of these standards is to assure all students are taught the same common core standards or skills. Standards are different from curriculum because standards tell what a child is expected to learn, but curriculum includes the content that schools implement to help children meet the standards. Textbooks, curriculum options, and topics to be covered are different among school districts, but PSSA tests help hold schools accountable for what students are suppose to be learning at each grade level. Private schools do not have to follow the Common Core Standards initiative.
In the past PSSA scores were a significant factor in determining a school’s ratings. Many educators feel that it is unfair to judge a school on just PSSA scores as often it does not give a clear understanding of a district’s strengths and weaknesses. Recently the Deputy State Education Secretary stated that “students are more than a test score”. Consequently, the state has established a holistic approach to evaluating schools and student performance, namely, the Future Ready PA Index. Schools now receive a color coded rating of red, green and blue indicating they aren’t meeting expectations (red), or they are improving (green) . Blue indicates they have met or exceeded student goals (https://www.education.pa.gov/K-12/ESSA/FutureReady/Pages/default.aspx.)
Parents can play an important role when reviewing PSSA test scores for their children. The PSSA identifies student’s performance levels in terms of four different levels: Below Basic, Basic, Proficient, or Advanced. Cut scores are the numbers that the state uses to place students in corresponding level groupings. Parents need to be aware that cut scores vary for each individual test and grade level. All cut scores are ultimately based on norms and are the opinions of a group of experts. When interpreting scores, parents should remember that no test is perfectly reliable or perfectly valid because no method of setting cut scores is perfect. Your child’s score should be interpreted in relation to other assessments that are given throughout the year. Please remember there are also many pitfalls with tests and all sorts of limitations to tests and test scores. Nevertheless they can be helpful.
Since school districts are required to provide intervention programs for eligible students if they fall below expectancy levels for their grade on the PSSA, once again parents should consider other test scores along with teacher recommendations and report card performance when making decisions regarding intervention programs. Keep in mind there are so many variables that impact a student’s performance including test anxiety; therefore, parents want to make educated decisions when choosing alternative ways to fill the learning void. The school has the first obligation to meet your child’s learning needs. Some students, however, respond well to a private tutor who can provide corrective instruction in math or reading. Mount Lebanon Academy has been providing support to all types of students for they past 37 years, and we are well acquainted with the PSSA and what you need to know about standards and strategies to improve student performance. If your child’s goal is to move into the proficient or advanced level, our teachers have the experience to provide the necessary materials to advance their achievement and help them to overcome their weaknesses.
Parents should also review their school district’s PSSA performance as well as the individual school ratings in their district for your child’s schools’ scores provide important information in relation to other elementary programs within the district as well as performance of other school districts in close proximity. This information can provide shared responsibility for improving educational practices as well as short and long term educational reform with curriculum. By examining math and reading scores, one can analyze trends among grade levels and make suggestions and improvements relating to curriculum choices. Administrators, teachers, families, community members, and students all share this responsibility.
For more information or support with PSSA and what you need to know about skills and preparation, call the Academy at 412-563-1413 or visit our website at http://www.mtleboacademy.com