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Perkiomen Valley administrators defend assessment calendar as board questions testing volume
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Summary
District administrators presented an annual assessment calendar that layers diagnostics, benchmarks and summative tests; board members pressed whether repeated testing (STAR, I‑Ready, benchmarks, PSSAs) produces useful instructional change or unnecessary burden.
Perkiomen Valley SD administrators on Oct. 10 presented an assessment schedule that combines diagnostic, benchmarking and summative measures intended to guide instruction, while several board members questioned the volume and practical use of repeated tests.
The presentation, led by Dr. Clune, an administrator, and introduced by Dr. Russell, an administrator, explained the district’s mix of assessments: computer‑based diagnostics (I‑Ready), universal screeners (DIBELS/Acadience), STAR reading/Math, course‑specific benchmarks (Algebra, Biology, Literature) and state summatives such as the PSSA and Keystone exams. "Students should be just taking the assessments. It's not a preparation to take the assessment," Dr. Clune said, adding that teachers use assessment results to adjust instruction and interventions.
Board members and administrators debated tradeoffs between information value and testing load. Board member Ms. White asked why STAR reading would continue beyond ninth grade for students who are already at or above grade level; Dr. Clune replied the test gives a consistent snapshot from Grade 3 through Grade 12 and can show whether reading progress is maintained. Secondary administrators said STAR and STAR Math are sometimes discontinued midyear for students who test at or above grade level.
Administrators described two elementary benchmarking windows for ELA and a switch to I‑Ready standards mastery for math benchmarking; the district is introducing I‑Ready this year and plans to use its Standards Mastery tool to project PSSA performance. Acadience (DIBELS) remains a paper‑and‑pencil screener for early elementary so teachers can confer with students directly. Dr. Clune said I‑Ready's Standards Mastery is expected to take about 20 minutes per administration.
The board pressed how assessment data move from collection to classroom change. Administrators said data meetings occur at multiple levels: collaborative teacher teams use LinkIt (the district’s data analytics tool) to disaggregate results and plan small‑group instruction, while larger data team meetings examine trends and refine schoolwide responses. "How do we help teachers adjust instruction in real time so that we're seeing an impact in student learning and we can actually map it?" an administrator asked, describing that as the district goal.
Concerns raised included classroom composition and the spread of student ability in co‑taught or inclusion settings. Board members asked whether wide ability ranges in a single ELA classroom reduce the effectiveness of differentiation; administrators said narrowing ranges and better grouping at the middle level are priorities and that a forthcoming gifted services review with the MCIU may offer recommendations.
Administrators also noted a technical opportunity: the Pennsylvania Value‑Added System (PVAS) accepts certain local assessments and can incorporate up to three years of local assessment history, allowing the district to project student trajectories when I‑Ready and DIBELS data are submitted.
The board did not take any formal votes. Administrators said they would monitor the new schedule's implementation and revisit the balance of assessments after the year. The presentation closed with an invitation to continue working on teacher capacity for data use, including professional development and collaborative teams.
