The mission of Pine-Richland School District is to focus on learning for every student every day. One of the keys to implementing this mission is the vision that learning involves both achievement and growth. The annual Academic Achievement Report presents summative data on student achievement. It also includes an analysis of growth through the Pennsylvania Value-Added Assessment System (PVAAS).
This report presents data from the:
Pennsylvania State System of Assessment (PSSA) Subject area tests of English Language Arts, Math & Science
Keystone Exams in Literature, Algebra 1 & Biology
The PVAAS methodology is then used to statistically analyze the achievement scores of all tests taken by students to make judgments about whether students made a year’s worth of growth in their learning. Achievement and growth data are presented for the PSSAs and Keystone Exams.
Other summative achievement tests reported include the:
Scholastic Aptitude (SAT)
American College Test (ACT)
Advanced Placement (AP) Tests
Assessment of learning is one of the most important elements of a successful educational program. In addition to curriculum and instruction, assessment data provides information on the effectiveness of the overall educational program. Student learning is assessed using
a variety of methods but this report focuses on summative achievement tests. Achievement data for Pine-Richland students within this report is compared to achievement data from other students in Pennsylvania, the nation, and global populations whenever possible.
Summative data on student achievement can be difficult to incorporate into the daily decisions about next steps in student learning that classroom teachers routinely make. There is usually a significant time gap between the administration of standardized tests and the ability of the district to analyze the results. Students have generally transitioned to the next grade level and to a different course in the content area sequence before performance results on achievement tests are reported. Summative assessments serve as lagging indicators of student learning. However, they also give us indicators of where to test further to find greater evidence of students in need of supplemental instruction, enrichment, and acceleration.