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Superintendent: district PSSA, Keystone results show downward trends; leaders call for immediate interventions
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Gibbs presented the district's PSSA and Keystone results to the Committee of the Whole, showing multi‑year declines in proficiency, worsening third‑ and fifth‑grade below‑basic rates, a 70% graduation rate and rising suspensions; board members requested monthly attendance and suspension reports and quarterly progress updates.
Superintendent Doctor Gibbs gave a data‑driven briefing on the district’s Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) and Keystone exam results, describing “a downward trend over the last 3 years in both ELA and mathematics” and urging a focused, multi‑pronged response.
Gibbs summarized participation and performance: participation was above 98% in both ELA and math (the state requirement is 95%); PSSA results include both PSSA and the Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment (PASA). She said the district saw declines in the proficient and advanced categories across several grades and a notable increase in below‑basic results for third and fifth grades. “There’s a downward trend for students in grades 3, 5, 6, and 7 for proficient and advanced categories,” Gibbs said.
On Keystone exams, Gibbs said there was “a slight increase in algebra by 4.3 percentage points” and a 0.2 percentage‑point increase in literature, but that the majority of students remained in the below‑basic category across algebra, biology and literature. The superintendent flagged nonacademic indicators as well: chronic absenteeism has remained steady districtwide with elementary improving, while high schools and middle schools remain concerning; the district’s graduation rate, she said, “is currently…sitting at 70%.”
Gibbs described an urgent agenda of interventions: strengthening core instruction, targeting foundational skills, implementing multi‑tiered systems of supports (MTSS), and a leadership framework focused on instructional coaching and accountability. “This is a high stakes moment demanding an urgent and decisive response,” she said.
Board members asked for more frequent reporting. Director Grant requested quarterly updates on analyses and implementation impacts; Director Nichols asked for monthly attendance and suspension reports so the board can monitor trends in near real time. Gibbs said the district has onboarded a chief accountability officer and a data integration platform to enable regular reports and that monthly updates on universal screeners and other metrics will be provided.
Members also pressed for disaggregated detail (for example, top incident types driving suspensions) and for percent‑change context tied to enrollment shifts; Gibbs and staff said those breakdowns would be produced on request.
Why it matters: the district’s assessment and nonacademic data will shape curriculum and staffing decisions, the strategic plan, and near‑term investments in instruction and student supports. Board members signaled that district priorities, partnerships, and spending decisions should be explicitly aligned to reversing the trends the data show.
