Derry Area SD principals report mixed test results, outline interventions and explain COVID‑era testing impact

Building principals and district leaders presented the Derry Area School District’s 2023–24 assessment results to the board, reporting mixed outcomes across elementary, middle and high school assessments and outlining curriculum and intervention steps the district plans to continue.

Administrators said the district’s Future Ready PA (formerly the School Performance Profile) and Pennsylvania Department of Education measures show strengths in some areas and gaps in others. Grandview Elementary ELA for grades 3–5 was reported at 54.2% proficiency versus a statewide average of 53.1%. Grandview Middle School ELA for tested grades was reported at 57.3% versus a state average of 52.9. At the high school, literature Keystone proficiency was reported at 76.5%, described by the presenter as significantly above the state average.

Math results varied by building. District presenters reported a 2024 PSA math score of 51.7% against a 47.6% state average for tested elementary grades. At the high school, administrators reported an Algebra I Keystone proficiency of 14.8%. District math leaders and the high‑school presenter said that figure is distorted by pandemic‑era testing exemptions: many students who were taking algebra during the COVID‑affected years were exempted or were counted under alternative measures, and the presenters cautioned that raw proficiency percentages do not fully reflect cohort ability. One principal noted 27 students who had been designated proficient under an alternate algebra measure; district staff said adding those students would substantially raise the apparent proficiency rate, though they cautioned that this does not retroactively change Keystone reporting.

Science results were described as generally strong. Grandview Elementary science was reported at 81.2% proficiency versus a 77.1% state average. High‑school biology Keystone proficiency was reported at about 45.3%; presenters described the biology Keystone as a difficult test and said growth work continues in that department.

District leaders detailed instructional strategies and interventions aimed at closing gaps: expanded use of Acadience (screening) data for small‑group instruction, Heggerty phonemic‑awareness instruction in early grades, continued Title I supports, math labs, IXL practice, and MTSS/RTII frameworks. Administrators said the district started year‑one implementation of MTSS at Grandview and has used data meetings and targeted professional development to support teachers’ use of subtest data rather than relying solely on composite scores.

Administrators also noted the district’s four‑year cohort graduation rate for the 2022–23 cohort was 94.4%, above the statewide average cited in the presentation (87.6%) and above the state goal cited (92.4%). Officials reiterated that Act 158 and other alternate graduation pathways give students multiple routes to graduation beyond Keystone proficiency.

The board’s discussion included a request for continued curriculum alignment and for approvals where new curricula or expanded programs (for example, extending the Amplify science curriculum into additional grades) require board action. No formal vote on curriculum changes occurred at this meeting; the presentation was for information and planning.