Abington Heights principals report midyear assessment progress, highlight writing and intervention priorities
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Summary
Principals at Abington Heights presented midyear data Jan. 7, citing gains in some elementary math and reading benchmarks, concerns about writing (text-dependent analysis) across grades, and new interventions including push-in specialists, OGAP math practices and a high-school learning lab with weekly data reviews.
Principals from Abington Heights School District presented midyear updates to the board on Jan. 7, reporting areas of progress and continuing concerns across grade levels.
Clarks Summit Elementary principal Mr. Miliani told the board the school has seen increased ELA proficiency in grades 3 and 4 and that Acadience K–2 benchmark rates rose to about 80% at midyear. He credited targeted small-group instruction, regular progress monitoring and MTSS structures for measurable gains.
Newton Ransom and South Abington principals described similar approaches: shared benchmark and diagnostic data, monthly data meetings, and specialist-led push-in support. South Abington’s principal said the building has aligned CDT, PSSA and local benchmarks and is using creative schedules so reading specialists can reach more students daily.
Several principals and the superintendent emphasized concerns about writing, particularly the text-dependent analysis (TDA) portion of state assessments. The middle-school principal said only about 28% of students scored a 12 or higher on the TDA portion of the prior PSSA, and described new, vertically consistent brainstorming and writing strategies intended to build students’ ability to plan and structure written responses.
At the high school, administrators reported a drop in Keystone proficiency and advanced scores of roughly 10 percentage points year-to-year but said average CDT scores have risen and that early-term indicators show progress. The high school introduced a learning lab staffed each period with an ELA and a math teacher to provide interventions; administrators reported 90 "hard" referrals to the lab, 70 schedule adjustments to increase student supports, and about two dozen students who have returned to independent study halls after meeting exit criteria.
Superintendent Dr. Schaeffer recommended using holistic measures such as the PA Future Ready Index to compare district performance to peer districts and to track growth alongside proficiency. Board members requested more consolidated reporting — for example, elementary trends presented side-by-side — and district staff agreed to explore formats that show percentile and trend data so the board can compare performance across peers and over time.
The presentations underscored the district’s emphasis on data-driven instruction, formative assessment (including OGAP for math), and targeted intervention to address gaps in writing and maintain progress in mathematics.