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District presents intermediate-school report showing attendance and test-score trends
Summary
The district presented attendance, habitual-truancy and assessment data for Lehman and JTL intermediate schools; presenters said PSSA and course-passing rates rose in 2023–24, while habitual truancy remains an area of focus and PDE indicators require targeted plans.
The East Stroudsburg Area School District presented a mid-level data review on Jan. 9 showing mixed results: improvements in statewide assessment results and course-passing rates, but persistent habitual-truancy and attendance concerns that district staff said will remain a focus.
District leaders described three focal areas — attendance, behavior and classroom performance — and walked the committee through multiple measures. Average daily membership (ADM) rose from 2021–22 to 2023–24 at both Lehman and JTL in several grades, the presentation said. At the same time, habitual truancy (the PDE standard cited in the meeting is six or more unexcused absences in a school year) accounted for the largest single category of absence reasons that the district is tracking.
Officials said the district has hired attendance consultants through the intermediate unit to investigate root causes, and that preliminary data point to “miscommunication” between families and the district as a common theme; staff emphasized that the consultants will dig into specific causes such as transportation issues, missed bus pickups and parent notification processes. Committee members noted transportation differences between North and South attendance zones and asked staff to parse those patterns further.
On academic measures, staff reported increases in PSSA (Pennsylvania System of School Assessment) scores and improved course-passing rates in 2023–24 compared with earlier years at both intermediate schools. The presentation highlighted a rise in the percentage of students earning a C or better in dual-enrollment and other courses and steady improvement in key Keystone and PSSA indicators; staff asked the committee to consider the data as a “scoreboard” that shows outcomes but does not capture preparation and effort.
Disciplinary measures were discussed as well: in-school suspensions rose at one intermediate school and tardiness patterns differed by campus, which staff linked to local transportation and proximity. Board members asked for more granular follow-up on habitual-truancy cases and said they want root-cause analysis before recommending policy changes.
Ending: Staff said they will continue to refine the early-warning attendance models, follow up with the intermediate-unit attendance consultants and return with targeted interventions and updated data at future meetings.
