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Keystone Oaks review of student achievement flags growth, but state testing changes hamper comparisons
Summary
District presenters highlighted strong growth at Dormont and Myrtle elementary schools but cautioned that a new state science standard and all-digital testing limit year-to-year comparability; the board discussed technology's effect on reading and next steps including a student survey and Education Committee follow-up.
At a board meeting, the district’s presenter (Speaker 2) summarized student-achievement results, stressing that building-level growth and state passing rates tell different stories. "This is just 1 small piece," Speaker 2 said of raw proficiency figures, adding that growth metrics are critical to judge whether students are progressing year to year.
The presentation compared PSSA English language arts and math percentages by grade and school and called out Dormont and Myrtle elementary schools for showing "100% growth in all of the students in grades 3, 4, and 5," a result Speaker 2 credited to leadership and classroom instruction. The presenter noted, however, that overall state proficiency remains disappointing: "If I was the state secretary of education, I would not be pleased with these scores," Speaker 2 said.
Board members and the presenter spent substantial time explaining why science cells on the report are blank this year. Speaker 1 said Pennsylvania adopted new field standards for science (environmental literacy and sustainability) and that last year’s assessment served as a field test; as a result districts lack comparable science data for this cycle. The presenter described the forthcoming science test as three-dimensional and under development, with districts awaiting item release and banking rules.
On Keystone end-of-course exams, the presenter explained that the state "banks" scores across years; for the current senior cohort the reported pass rates were: Algebra I 57%, Biology 64.9% and Literature 78.1%. Speaker 2 emphasized multiple retake pathways and said the banked scores reflect the graduating cohort, not only students who took the tests the previous year.
The board discussed how the all-digital test format and more complex, application-focused items affect student performance. A public commenter (Speaker 7) asked, "most of the work seems to be done on a computer, and that just does not work for everybody's brain," and the presenter responded that district leaders and teacher specialists are evaluating when paper-and-pencil work remains essential. Speaker 2 said a math lead still requires students to "work through a math problem on paper and pencil" so teachers can see reasoning and intervene when AI-produced answers mask gaps.
The presentation linked curriculum change to short-term score movement: Speaker 2 said a cohort’s ELA drop coincided with the first year of a new reading series, a shift that commonly produces a temporary decline while teachers adjust instruction. The district is planning follow-up work: principals and central-office staff will develop student-achievement action plans, and the district will survey students in grades 3–12 as part of the new strategic plan.
The board did not take formal action on the report. Speaker 2 offered to present the data in a future Education Committee meeting for a deeper review and to meet individually with board members seeking detailed analysis.
