School test scores mixed in region

Area school districts saw mixed results as the Pennsylvania Department of Education released results late last month from the 2019 administration of the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment and Keystone Exams.

PSSAs are administered in grades 3 through 8 for both English language arts and math; and grades 4 and 8 in science.

Locally, 11 out of 20 Times News area schools were above the state average of 60.9% for the amount of students who scored proficient or better in ELA. In math, 6 out of 20 schools bested or equaled the state average of 42.4% proficiency. Science scores were the best for the area, with 12 out of 20 schools scoring above the 68% proficiency level, which was the state average.

Leading the way in ELA scores was Towamensing Elementary with 78.3% of students scoring proficient or above on the test, followed by Weatherly Middle School at 71.9% and Weatherly Elementary with 69.5%.

Pleasant Valley Elementary topped the PSSA math chart with 73.4% scoring proficient or above, followed by Weatherly Elementary at 71.9% and Slatington Elementary at 63.9%. Towamensing was also the top scoring school for science, with 90.9% at proficient or above, followed by Weatherly Elementary at 88.1% and Pleasant Valley Intermediate School at 87.7%.

The scores are used as part of Pennsylvania’s statewide accountability system, as required under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act.

“Since taking office, Gov. Wolf has emphasized that student readiness and success is measured in many ways and that standardized tests represent just one tool to help identify student progress and achievement,” said Secretary of Education Pedro A. Rivera. “Under this direction, the department has implemented several steps to allow teachers to spend more of their valuable time in classrooms instructing students and to utilize data to inform instruction and less time administering standardized tests.”

In 2018, the time required to take the PSSAs was reduced by an average of two days and this year the testing window was reduced from three to two weeks and moved to later in the school year. State officials said the changes provided students with additional, critical classroom hours and school districts with the needed flexibility in planning their school calendars.

Keystone Exams are end-of-course assessments in literature, biology, and Algebra I. Students’ best scores are “banked” and reported in statewide data when the student is in grade 11.

Three high schools eclipsed the state average of 63.3% of students at proficiency or above in Algebra I. In biology, two high schools bested the state average of 63.2% of students at proficient or above.

Literature, which yielded the best scores, also saw two high schools over the state average of 71.5% of students proficient or better.

Locally, leading the way in Algebra I were Palmerton Area High School at 76.3% of students proficient or better, followed by Lehighton Area High School at 66.9% and Pleasant Valley High School at 64.6%.

For biology, Lehighton Area High School leads the way at 69% of students proficient or above, followed by Northern Lehigh High School at 63.9% and Pleasant Valley High School at 62.8%.

Pleasant Valley High School had the best average on the literature exam, with 78.4% of students proficient or better, followed by Lehighton Area High School at 73.3% and Jim Thorpe Area High School at 69.1%.

The Keystone and PSSA scores were released in conjunction with the Future Ready PA Index, a comprehensive reporting system for school districts. The index uses a dashboard approach to present school-level data that features a broad range of indicators, such as English language acquisition, career readiness benchmark indicators, access to advanced coursework, and chronic absenteeism.

Pennsylvania State Standardized Test scores

English Language Arts (Percentage of students scoring advanced or proficient)

Towamensing Elementary 78.3%

Weatherly Middle School 71.9%

Weatherly Elementary 69.5%

Pleasant Valley Middle School 67.9%

Pleasant Valley Intermediate School 66.8%

Pleasant Valley Elementary 64.2%

Slatington Elementary 63.9%

Tamaqua Elementary 63.9%

West Penn Elementary 63.4%

Palmerton Area Junior High School 63%

Lehighton Elementary Center 61.1%

Lehighton Area Middle School 59.7%

LB Morris Elementary 59.6%

SS Palmer Elementary 58.9%

Tamaqua Middle School 57.9%

Panther Valley Junior Senior High School 55.9%

Penn Kidder Elementary 54.3%

Northern Lehigh Middle School 52.1%

Panther Valley Elementary 50%

Panther Valley Intermediate School 44.1%

Math (Percentage of students scoring advanced or proficient)

Pleasant Valley Elementary 73.4%

Weatherly Elementary 71.9%

Slatington Elementary 63.9%

Towamensing Elementary 61.6%

Pleasant Valley Intermediate School 51.5%

Weatherly Middle School 45.2%

SS Palmer Elementary 41.7%

West Penn Elementary 39.5%

Lehighton Elementary Center 38.3%

Palmerton Area Junior High School 37.6%

Tamaqua Middle School 35.9%

LB Morris Elementary 35.8%

Tamaqua Elementary 34.3%

Pleasant Valley Middle School 33.6%

Lehighton Area Middle School 33.5%

Panther Valley Elementary 31.4%

Penn Kidder Elementary 31.4%

Northern Lehigh Middle School 28.6%

Panther Valley Junior Senior High School 20.1%

Panther Valley Intermediate School 18.6%

Science (Percentage of students scoring advanced or proficient)

Towamensing Elementary 90.9%

Weatherly Elementary 88.1%

Pleasant Valley Intermediate School 87.7%

Lehighton Elementary Center 84.6%

Tamaqua Elementary 82.4%

Slatington Elementary 80%

West Penn Elementary 80%

SS Palmer Elementary 75.3%

LB Morris Elementary 73.3%

Palmerton Area Junior High School 71.3%

Weatherly Middle School 70%

Lehighton Area Middle School 68.9%

Penn Kidder Elementary 67.1%

Panther Valley Intermediate School 66.4%

Tamaqua Middle School 60%

Panther Valley Junior Senior High School 55.9%

Pleasant Valley Middle School 54.1%

Northern Lehigh Middle School 51.7%

Keystone Exam results

Keystone Exam Algebra I (percentage of students who scored advanced or proficient)

Palmerton Area High School-76.3%

Lehighton Area High School-66.9%

Pleasant Valley High School-64.6%

Tamaqua Area High School-60.9%

Jim Thorpe Area High School-60.4%

Northern Lehigh High School-60.2%

Carbon Career and Technical Institute-58.9%

Weatherly Area High School-53%

Panther Valley Junior Senior High School-28.8%

Keystone Exam Biology (percentage of students who scored advanced or proficient)

Lehighton Area High School-69%

Northern Lehigh High School-63.9%

Pleasant Valley High School-62.8%

Jim Thorpe Area High School-57.4%

Tamaqua Area High School-55.4%

Palmerton Area High School-54.3%

Carbon Career and Technical Institute-50%

Weatherly Area High School-50%

Panther Valley Junior Senior High School-47.9%

Keystone Exam Literature (percentage of students who scored advanced or proficient)

Pleasant Valley High School-78.4%

Lehighton Area High School-73.3%

Jim Thorpe Area High School-69.1%

Tamaqua Area High School-66.9%

Palmerton Area High School-65.5%

Weatherly Area High School-65.3%

Northern Lehigh High School-63.3%

Panther Valley Junior Senior High School-63%

Carbon Career and Technical Institute-61.5%