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Schuylkill Valley board hears mixed growth results as district rolls out new internal assessments
Summary
District administrators told the board that elementary and high school students showed strong year-to-year growth in some subjects while middle school math lagged; presenters described new internal tools (IRLA, ALEKS, Reveal) and urged a multi-year view as curricula and assessments settle in.
The Schuylkill Valley School District on Tuesday presented a first fuller accounting of student growth since post‑COVID data returned, with building administrators reporting uneven results across grade spans and subject areas.
Dr. Shannon O'Donnell, a district administrator who led the building-level presentations, said the elementary school posted an academic growth score of 77 in English language arts for 2024–25 (above the state growth standard of 70 and the statewide average of 75.4) and a mathematics academic growth score of 96. "We are very proud of our students for that growth," she said, describing the district's use this year of the IRLA (Independent Reading Level Assessment) and ALEKS as internal benchmarks.
The middle school presentation, given separately, showed a different profile: an ELA growth score of 83 (above the state standard) but a mathematics growth score of 50 — below the state growth standard of 70. The middle-school administrators said they are adopting the Reveal math curriculum, using multiple benchmark checks and ALEKS diagnostics to identify prerequisite skill gaps and to guide instruction.
At the high-school level, administrators reported a cohort growth score of 56 in English language arts (did not meet the growth standard) and a mathematics/algebra score of 72 (meeting the standard). The high school also reported results from Advanced Placement exams: 162 students took AP exams in May, with several courses showing strong percentages of students scoring 3 or higher, including AP U.S. Government and Politics and AP U.S. History.
Board members pressed administrators on data provenance and comparability. One member asked how the IRLA and ALEKS internal results will be validated against state benchmarks; O'Donnell said the district will look at state-provided diagnostic assessments and that it typically takes several years after implementing new curriculum for patterns to stabilize. "Anytime you implement new programming, it probably takes around three years before you're actually gonna see a lot of benefit," she said.
Administrators described how principals and teachers review internal data frequently — through planned common planning times, consultant visits and professional development — and said the district is prioritizing supports where benchmarks show students are behind. They emphasized that internal measures are intended to be used alongside, not instead of, state diagnostics.
The board requested future trend reporting to place growth scores in context (for example, percentile baselines and multi‑year comparisons); administrators agreed to provide additional trend and historic comparisons where possible.
Next steps: building leaders said they will continue to use IRLA, ALEKS and Reveal benchmarks across the year, expand teacher training and report back with trend data that compares internal diagnostics with state measures when sufficient years of comparable data exist.
