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District officials cite COVID cohort effects and reading interventions after modest PSSA declines
Summary
District staff presented a snapshot of 2024–25 PSSA results showing declines in ELA proficiency across several grades, attributed in part to COVID‑era cohort disruptions. Administration said growth data will be presented separately and highlighted interventions including MTSS and a district adoption of the UFLI science‑of‑reading program.
Dr. Donat presented the Shippensburg Area School District's PSSA (state standardized) English language arts data to the Committee of the Whole, calling the slide set "a snapshot of student achievement" and emphasizing that growth measures will be shared at a later meeting.
The presentation showed year‑to‑year declines in the percentage of students scoring proficient or above in several elementary and middle grades. Dr. Donat said some of the cohorts affected were unable to attend preschool or receive full foundational instruction during the COVID school disruption and that district partners have reported similar declines in comparable districts.
"The data that I'm sharing tonight is a snapshot of student achievement. It's one moment in time," Dr. Donat said. He told the board the district will present growth data in an upcoming Committee of the Whole meeting to show how students progressed over an academic year.
Staff flagged seventh grade as a specific concern and said building‑level conversations with principals and ELA teachers are underway to review curriculum and classroom strategies. Board members asked for clarifications about cohorts; Dr. Donat confirmed the charts compare separate cohorts (for example, third grade in 2023, 2024 and 2025 are different groups of students).
District staff also described instructional responses in place or underway: an expanded MTSS (multi‑tiered system of supports) behavior committee, adoption of UFLI (a phonics‑based curriculum) and other elements of the "science of reading," small‑group reading interventions, PBIS for behavior tracking, and family engagement strategies. Staff cautioned that training and implementation take time and that primary‑grade gains will take several years to move through the system.
Why it matters: The PSSA results inform curriculum and staffing decisions, targeted interventions, and planning for tutoring or other supplemental supports. District officials framed the findings as actionable data rather than final judgments, and pledged a follow‑up presentation with growth measures.
Board members asked about comparability to other states and how PSSA results relate to classroom grades and graduation indicators; staff emphasized PSSA is a once‑a‑year standardized measure distinct from classroom grades and said longitudinal growth reporting will provide additional context.
