Friday, September 04, 2009

PSSA Scores Are In

Both the Express-Times (read it here) and the Morning Call (read it here) have articles on the latest PSSA test scores.

Maybe I missed it in the articles, but I couldn’t find the actual scores in either, but you can find them on the Dept. of Education site (available here).

Science and Writing scores were added to the mix this year for selected grades.

Beginning with Math and Reading, tradition has shown that HS students typically have the worst scores.  This year 20% were below basic in math and 16% below basic in reading, both were high marks for the district.

By comparison, each MS grade (6-8) ranged right around 6% below basic in math and 5% for reading, except for 6th grade which was at 10%.

And then the elementary schools, and here Shafer struggled by comparison to Bushkill and Lower Nazareth.

Shafer had the highest percent of below basic in every grade for both math and reading, while it tied for most in advanced reading in Grade 3.

Bushkill had the highest percent of advanced for math and reading at every grade level except reading grade 3.

Bushkill had 65% of 6th grade in advanced math, while Shafer managed only 38%.

Considering it is the same district, with the same curriculum, one would think there would be more balance across the buildings.

In science, the first year results were in, Bushkill again blew away the other buildings with 70% advanced compared to 43% and 44% for Lower and Shafer.  Shafer had 12% of students at Basic or Below Basic, while Bushkill had 2% and Lower 3%.

HS again fared the worst of the group with 59% at Basic or Below compared to 23% at the MS (only 8th grade was tested at MS for Science).

In writing, the HS performed the best with 22% advanced and 2% below basic.  The MS had 18% advanced and 1% below basic.  On the elementary level (grade 5 only), Bushkill had 7% and 0%, LN had 6% and 1% and Shafer had 1% and 0%.

Posted via email from Ross Nunamaker

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