Speaker 1, a staff member for the Littlestown Area School District, told the school board that Pennsylvania’s new science assessment is not yet finished and that a district pilot will affect fifth- and eighth-grade students next year.

“The test isn't even fully developed yet,” Speaker 1 said, adding that state-released items typically appear after students take the PSSA in the spring and that those released items help teachers see how questions are structured and how constructive-response scenarios are written.

The district plans to use a PDE diagnostic benchmark called Fireflies as a beginning-of-year assessment to help teachers identify gaps in student learning, Speaker 1 said. “Firefly is a benchmark. So, grades 5 and 8 will take these next year. And it will help the teachers know how much of the science the kids already know,” Speaker 1 said.

Nut graf: The updates matter because the pilot and new benchmarks will guide instruction, teacher planning and ultimately how students’ science learning is measured. Staff said the pilot year means scores for fifth- and eighth-grade science will not be attributed to those students this year, but the state plans a fuller assessment that will count in a later year.

According to staff remarks, released PSSA items let teachers examine question types and constructive-response formats so they can prepare students. Speaker 1 said some districts will receive released items after spring PSSA administrations and that next year the state intends to administer a full assessment that will count for accountability; Staff said one PDE contact suggested readiness in 2026, though staff also referenced expectations that the state would be ready sooner.

Speaker 1 described implementation issues the district is addressing: scheduling, release time for teachers to develop curriculum and common assessments, and the multi-year nature of full implementation. “This was not a one-year implementation. This is gonna take some time to get all these units in and all the comp assessments and get our teachers where they need to be,” Speaker 1 said.

Board members and staff discussed possible inconsistency in how other grades and graduation cohorts will be treated; Speaker 1 noted the district will continue conversations with PDE about equitable treatment for students in other grades.

Ending: Staff said the district will share more information with building principals and keep the board updated as PDE releases pilot materials and benchmarks.