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Kiski Area SD details how state test data is turned into classroom interventions
Summary
District administrators walked the board through converting raw PSSA/Keystone results into reporting‑category spreadsheets for principals and teachers, using cohort comparisons and MTSS to target Tier‑1 to Tier‑3 interventions and daily enrichment blocks; presenters noted constructive response items as an avoidable score loss at the high school level.
Administrators told the Kiski Area School District board they are moving state assessment results from a static “autopsy” into a formative tool teachers can use immediately. The district receives raw PSSA and Keystone data (administrators said they received results on June 24), narrows hundreds of data columns into state reporting categories or “anchors,” and then produces teacher‑level, longitudinal spreadsheets showing proficiency in reporting categories.
The presentations described how principals use the high/medium/low breakdowns by reporting category and cohort comparisons (prior cohort versus current students) to identify where incoming students need intervention. At the classroom level, the district uses daily intervention/enrichment blocks (about 30 minutes K–12) and a tiered MTSS model: Tier‑1 classroom interventions, Tier‑2 small‑group interventions designed by collaborative teams, and Tier‑3 individualized supports that may involve reading specialists or Title I resources.
High‑school staff highlighted a common problem on higher‑order constructive response questions: students who complete multiple‑choice items but do not attempt constructed responses can lose substantial points. The high school has emphasized practice and expectations for attempting constructive response items across electives and encouraged teachers to scaffold and practice those items so students do not “leave points on the table.”
Presenters said the district supplements state data with local diagnostics (Renaissance Star, CDT, Progress Learning) to maintain more current assessment conversations and to align intervention work with the Keystone skills. Administrators noted that the Future Ready Index and state comparative data will be used once the '24–25 data are publicly released to benchmark district performance against statewide trends.
Board members asked practical questions — how teachers respond to a “low” designation, how students are scheduled into interventions and enrichment, and the opt‑out rate for state tests (administration said opt‑outs are typically under 5%). Presenters said teachers receive data in late August so instruction can be informed at the start of the year and that principals and PLCs review data regularly to refine curriculum and interventions.
