Berwick Area academic affairs reviews 2023–24 assessment data; administrators flag science standards and curriculum investments

District academic staff presented a review of 2023–24 assessment data to the Berwick Area School District board, explaining how the district uses proficiency and growth measures to evaluate student outcomes. The presentation directed board members and the public to publicly available resources — including the Future Ready PA index and the state growth data tools — for detailed school- and district-level results.

The presenter said proficiency measures (PSSA and Keystone exams) show where students are meeting grade-level standards; growth measures (reported through the district’s PBAS/PBOS system) report progress over time for individual students and groups. The presenter emphasized that state assessment data are high-level, “satellite-level” indicators and should be used alongside local assessments such as Acadience, i-Ready and classroom-level work when making instructional decisions.

Notable points cited in the presentation: - Third-grade proficiency increased to 63.8 percent in the period the presenter reviewed. The presenter described that as a positive sign for that cohort. - Math proficiency statewide was low last year, although the district’s third graders showed improvement. - The district reported strong performance historically on Keystone Biology and expects state assessments to change this school year because of new science standards described in the presentation as “science, technology, engineering, environmental literacy and sustainability.” The presenter warned the board they might see a downward shift in science scores initially as assessments are updated and said the district is already investing in teacher professional development and curriculum adjustments at the elementary level. - The presenter noted that certain index scores shown on the Future Ready PA site (numbers such as 80, 87 and 92 in the presentation) are not percentages of students but index values and should not be read as percent-proficiencies.

The academic leader described steps the district is taking to support sustained growth: focusing on the instructional core (teacher-student-content interactions), increasing teacher feedback loops and job-embedded professional learning, addressing regular attendance barriers and expanding student participation in school and district planning. The presenter said early-release professional learning days have been well received in early feedback: roughly 60 teacher respondents reported, with about 94 percent calling the sessions beneficial or extremely beneficial, and a separate Oct./Nov. personalized professional learning format drew 100 percent positive responses from respondents so far.

The presenter told the board that the district will need to invest in science curricula and instructional materials aligned to the new standards and that the administration will return to the board with specific proposals for resource allocation as planning continues. Board members were invited to follow up via the presenter’s email to request more grade-level detail.

The presentation concluded with a reminder that state-level attendance and graduation figures are sometimes lagging indicators on the Future Ready PA site and that schools should rely on the most recent local data for school planning.