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District presents preliminary Keystone and PSSA results; administrators outline action plans
Summary
District administrators reviewed preliminary 2025 Keystone and PSSA pass rates, noted strengths (80% literature proficiency for current seniors) and areas needing attention, and outlined plans including professional development, curriculum maps, FastBridge benchmarks and Firefly online practice testing.
Administrators presented the district’s preliminary spring 2025 assessment results and described immediate instructional actions.
The high-school presentation explained Keystones are end-of-course tests and reported the senior cohort’s spring results: 80% proficient in literature, 58% in algebra and 64% in biology. A presenter cautioned that Keystone results represent the locked scores for the cohort and that small cohorts produce large percentage swings; "a single kid in that group that was below basic" can meaningfully affect percentages in a small district, one administrator said.
At the elementary and middle levels, administrators reviewed PSSA pass-rate trends and cohort-versus-grade comparisons. Presenters noted bright spots in sixth-grade and eighth-grade ELA, a standout fifth-grade math performance, and some declines in other grade-level math and science scores. They emphasized cohort analysis (following the same group over time) to identify growth and pointed out that statewide 'growth' numbers had not yet been released.
Action steps presented to the board included increased professional-development time focused on ELA, curriculum mapping and pacing guides (K–3), creation of a data team under MTSS to support PLCs, adoption of FastBridge benchmark assessments to replace prior tools, expanded science instructional time in fifth grade, and piloting Firefly (a state-funded, online practice assessment) three times during the year to mirror new online PSSA formats and technologically enhanced question types.
Administrators also raised operational concerns: the statewide move to online testing requires keyboarding/practice time for younger students and Firefly is part of the mitigation strategy. They said final, state-released growth metrics will follow later and that action plans will be refined as those figures arrive.
Next steps: administrators will continue data meetings with teachers, provide the board with finalized reports when the state releases growth numbers, and implement the described instructional supports.
