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Penncrest assessment coordinator: district students show mixed gains; math remains a concern
Summary
District assessment coordinator Aaron Bond presented 2024 state testing results showing gains in ELA and some grades' growth above expectations, while math proficiency lags; board members asked for comparisons with similar districts and staff outlined steps to support math instruction.
Aaron Bond, principal at Newwood Elementary School and the district assessment coordinator, presented the Penncrest School District's spring 2024 assessment results during the board's Jan. 13 work session.
“Considering that, this year's 2nd grade class, for example, is the first group of kids that have not been impacted by COVID finally,” Bond said, and he highlighted that some early-grade cohorts are showing recovery from pandemic learning interruptions. He described district-level proficiency and growth using Pennsylvania’s PSSA and Keystone results and the PBOS growth measures.
Bond reported ELA proficiency (advanced or proficient) for spring 2024 of about 64% in grade 3; 55.4% in grade 4; nearly 58% in grade 5; 65% in grade 6; ~62% in grade 7; and about 45% in grade 8. Keystone results at the high school showed roughly 58% proficient/advanced in literature, about 30% in algebra and about 35% in biology. For math PSSAs, Bond said roughly 59% of third graders were advanced or proficient, about 51% in grade 4, 44% in grade 5, 39% in grade 6, 28% in grade 7 and 21% in grade 8.
On growth (PBOS), Bond said district students in grades 4–6 made “above” expected growth in ELA and that grades 4–6 met growth expectations in math; grades 7–8 trended lower. He framed achievement as a snapshot of where cohorts were on the test date and growth as the year-to-year direction for the same students.
Board members pressed for comparative context. One board member asked for a targeted comparison to districts with similar socioeconomic profiles and resources rather than comparison to all 501 Pennsylvania districts. The member said a small peer set “would give the teachers a lot of boost” and show how Penncrest performs against materially similar districts. Bond said that PBOS can produce that comparison and that staff can deliver a snapshot for the requested cohorts.
Bond reviewed district initiatives to improve math outcomes, including on-site work with Kevin Morrow (the Pennsylvania Department of Education math contact), building-level “thinking classroom” book studies led by a regional math coach through IU 6, and in-service follow-up. He said the district has used the Firefly benchmark (the same online platform as the state exam) to familiarize students with online testing ahead of full online PSSA/Keystone administration scheduled next year.
Bond also noted a change to science testing: he said the district will field-test a new 5th-grade science assessment this spring tied to updated state standards (referred to in the presentation as the new standards and as a field test year with no scored results). He urged continued focus on training and tools for teachers to improve instruction.
Superintendent Ford and other administrators committed to providing further disaggregated comparisons and additional data runs for the board to review. Board members and staff agreed to return with peer-district comparisons and targeted cohort analysis at a later meeting.
For follow-up, Bond said staff will dig further into 7th–8th grade math cohorts, continue math-focused professional development, and provide the requested comparative analyses at the board’s direction.
