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Superintendent Releases 2014 Student Achievement Results
PITTSBURGH August 20, 2014– This evening Superintendent Linda S. Lane released student achievement results from the 2014 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) showing district-wide gains on 10 of 16 testing points. In Reading and Mathematics, the percent of students scoring proficient or advanced increased on 8 of 12 testing points. In Science and Writing, the percent of students scoring proficient or advanced increased on 2 of 4 testing points. Dr. Lane also released Keystone Exam results that showed a decline in overall District performance, while most secondary schools saw increases in student performance. The Board received a preview of this year’s results at this evening’s Agenda Review Meeting. School level data will be shared at the September 9, 2014 Education Committee Meeting.
“We are encouraged by the growth we have seen in student achievement on this year’s state exams, and are grateful of the hard work our principals and teachers did to achieve these gains,” said Superintendent Linda Lane. “We will use this information, along with other indicators, to learn what is going well at our schools and what support is needed to improve student performance across the District.”
2014 District-Level PSSA Results
Overall, the percentage of students scoring proficient or advanced in PSSA Mathematics increased from 57.7% in 2013 to 60.3% in 2014. Grade level Mathematics results include:
• 3rd grade student performance declined .7 points to 64.3% from 65.0% in 2013.
• 4th grade student performance declined .5 points to 64.1% from 64.6% in 2013.
• 5th grade student performance increased 2.8 points to 54.2% from 51.5% in 2013.
• 6th grade student performance increased 4.5 points to 58.3% from 53.8% in 2013.
• 7th grade student performance increased 5.3 points to 62.6% from 57.3% in 2013.
• 8th grade student performance increased 4.2 points to 58.4% from 54.2% in 2013.
Overall, the percentage of students scoring proficient or advanced in PSSA Reading increased from 51.1% in 2013 to 53.3% in 2014. Grade level Reading results include:
• 3rd grade student performance declined 2.0 points to 53.7 % from 55.8%in 2013.
• 4th grade student performance increased 1.4 points to 52.6% from 51.2% in 2013.
• 5th grade student performance increased 3.3 points to 44.6% from 41.3% in 2013.
• 6th grade student performance declined 1.0 points to 44.5% from 45.5% in 2013.
• 7th grade student performance increased 5.8 points to 56.5% from 50.7% in 2013.
• 8th grade student performance increased 4.3 points to 67.2% from 62.9% in 2013.
The District saw overall declines in Science proficiency from 46.3% in 2013 to 45.4% in 2014. In Grade 4, proficiency levels in Science declined from 59.2 % in 2013 to 55.8 % in 2014, while Grade 8 proficiency in Science increased from 33.1% in 2013 to 35.1% in 2014.
“This school year our curriculum and school performance will work together on how we improve student achievement in science,” said Lane.
In Writing, the District saw overall increases in student performance from 54.7% in 2013 to 56.9% in 2014. In Grade 5 student proficiency decreased from 50.0% in 2013 to 48.8% in 2014, while 8th grade proficiency increased from 59.7% in 2013 to 64.4% in 2014.
African-American Student Achievement
Most Schools See Gains on 2014 Keystone Exams
Keystone Exams are end of course exams aligned to the Pennsylvania Core Standards that measure student learning in Algebra 1, Literature and Biology. Students take these exams immediately after completing the corresponding course. Although students may take the Keystone Exams at various times throughout their high school career, results for State accountability purposes are attributed to the school when the student reaches 11th Grade.
“We are encouraged by the growth we have seen in student achievement on this year’s state exams, and are grateful of the hard work our principals and teachers did to achieve these gains,” said Superintendent Linda Lane. “We will use this information, along with other indicators, to learn what is going well at our schools and what support is needed to improve student performance across the District.”
2014 District-Level PSSA Results
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 in Grades 3-8, Science in Grades 4 and 8, and Writing in Grades 5 and 8.
Overall, the percentage of students scoring proficient or advanced in PSSA Mathematics increased from 57.7% in 2013 to 60.3% in 2014. Grade level Mathematics results include:
• 3rd grade student performance declined .7 points to 64.3% from 65.0% in 2013.
• 4th grade student performance declined .5 points to 64.1% from 64.6% in 2013.
• 5th grade student performance increased 2.8 points to 54.2% from 51.5% in 2013.
• 6th grade student performance increased 4.5 points to 58.3% from 53.8% in 2013.
• 7th grade student performance increased 5.3 points to 62.6% from 57.3% in 2013.
• 8th grade student performance increased 4.2 points to 58.4% from 54.2% in 2013.
• 3rd grade student performance declined 2.0 points to 53.7 % from 55.8%in 2013.
• 4th grade student performance increased 1.4 points to 52.6% from 51.2% in 2013.
• 5th grade student performance increased 3.3 points to 44.6% from 41.3% in 2013.
• 6th grade student performance declined 1.0 points to 44.5% from 45.5% in 2013.
• 7th grade student performance increased 5.8 points to 56.5% from 50.7% in 2013.
• 8th grade student performance increased 4.3 points to 67.2% from 62.9% in 2013.
“This school year our curriculum and school performance will work together on how we improve student achievement in science,” said Lane.
In Writing, the District saw overall increases in student performance from 54.7% in 2013 to 56.9% in 2014. In Grade 5 student proficiency decreased from 50.0% in 2013 to 48.8% in 2014, while 8th grade proficiency increased from 59.7% in 2013 to 64.4% in 2014.
The District has made the elimination of racial disparities in academic achievement a priority. Like the overall District results, performance increased in 2014. The percent of African-American students scoring proficient or advanced in Mathematics increased from 46.2 % in 2013 to 49.8% in 2014, decreasing the disparity in Mathematics by 2.2 percentage points. The percent of African-American students scoring proficient or advanced in Reading increased from 39.6% in 2013 to 42.4% in 2014, decreasing the disparity 1.8 percentage points.
Most Schools See Gains on 2014 Keystone Exams
Keystone Exams are end of course exams aligned to the Pennsylvania Core Standards that measure student learning in Algebra 1, Literature and Biology. Students take these exams immediately after completing the corresponding course. Although students may take the Keystone Exams at various times throughout their high school career, results for State accountability purposes are attributed to the school when the student reaches 11th Grade.
At four schools, Pittsburgh Allderdice, Pittsburgh Obama, Pittsburgh Perry and Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy, student performance increased on all three exams. The table below displays the percent of students scoring proficient or advanced on Keystone Exams by District and school in comparison to the 2013 results.
Algebra I |
Literature |
Biology |
||||
2013 |
2014 |
2013 |
2014 |
2013 |
2014 |
|
District |
51.1 |
49.8 |
63.5 |
62.8 |
23.4 |
21.9 |
Allderdice |
64.0 |
70.0 |
73.4 |
79.6 |
36.1 |
36.7 |
Brashear |
46.5 |
49.3 |
58.8 |
59.8 |
17.0 |
11.1 |
CAPA |
81.2 |
80.4 |
95.7 |
95.8 |
53.8 |
49.3 |
Carrick |
53.0 |
37.1 |
66.9 |
60.6 |
24.1 |
12.6 |
Obama |
71.6 |
73.1 |
88.0 |
92.3 |
20.4 |
32.1 |
Perry |
27.3 |
27.7 |
34.8 |
44.0 |
5.1 |
8.1 |
Sci Tech |
74.1 |
79.5 |
81.4 |
91.7 |
46.5 |
49.3 |
Milliones |
27.2 |
27.7 |
43.4 |
46.2 |
1.3 |
0.0 |
Westinghouse |
9.1 |
2.6 |
31.8 |
7.9 |
3.0 |
0.0 |
To view the 2014 Student Achievement Results presentation shared with the Board at the start of its August 20th Agenda Review meeting click here.