Central York presents mixed assessment results; district leaders highlight growth gains and curriculum shifts

Central York School District administrators on Jan. 13 presented detailed 2023–24 student assessment results showing mixed proficiency trends alongside evidence of year‑over‑year growth in several grades.

Dr. Eutosh, the district staff member who led the presentation, said the district saw “a 71.1 proficiency rate” on the literature Keystone in 2024 and described that as “far exceeding a 10 point increase over where we were in the prior year.” He framed the Keystone and PSSA data alongside Pennsylvania’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) building‑level designations and explained PaVAS/PVOS value‑added measures that show student growth rather than absolute proficiency.

The presentation highlighted grade‑level results in ELA and math: third‑grade ELA proficiency was 61.2% (state 55.8%), several elementary grades showed gains after the district introduced the Wonders reading program, and the literature Keystone reached 71.1% proficiency. IntoMath (the district math resource) coincided with notable growth on the district’s value‑added charts: Dr. Eutosh said four of six middle‑grade levels showed “double blue” growth markers in 2024, indicating growth two standard deviations above the expected annual gain in those cohorts.

At the same time, administrators flagged areas requiring attention. Algebra Keystone proficiency was reported at about 54%, and Dr. Eutosh noted a disconnect between algebra performance at the middle‑school level and lower performance for all algebra takers at the high school, saying “there is definitely a decrease there.” He and board members discussed a 10‑point drop in fourth‑grade math achievement from 2023 to 2024 that reduced that grade’s value‑added score.

Board members pressed administrators for causes and remedies. Director Strickler raised a broader historical question about post‑Common Core declines, asking whether changes to assessment format and instructional resources contributed to the drop in proficiency after 2015. Dr. Eutosh pointed to several factors discussed in the presentation: changing standards and assessment design (more application‑based items), variations in curriculum and classroom practice over time, a loss of instructional coaches in prior years and the district’s move to more consistent curricular resources (IntoMath and Wonders) intended to restore common practice across classrooms.

Administrators also described the district’s newer assessment and benchmarking plans: Central York is piloting the state’s Firefly benchmark this year (grades 3–12 in pilot subjects) to provide an online, eligible‑content benchmark aligned with state testing; AcadiAn benchmarks and SRA reading measures continue at lower grades; and the PaVAS value‑added reports are now being used to target interventions. Dr. Eutosh told the board principals could use individual student projections from PaVAS to prioritize interventions and grouping.

The presentation closed with next steps: more analysis of specific cohort anomalies (notably the fourth‑grade math dip and the grade‑8 growth decline), continued fidelity reviews of IntoMath/Wonders implementation, and a planned board walkthrough of the Future Ready Index at the next meeting. Dr. Eutosh said the recent value‑added trends showed the district was “closing some of those gaps as we move forward,” while also noting work remains to align middle and high school algebra outcomes.

The district did not present a vote or formal action on curriculum adoption at the Jan. 13 meeting; the board discussed the data, asked follow‑up questions, and scheduled more granular, building‑level reviews and a February review of mid‑year benchmark data.