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Upper Adams SD officials highlight strong growth on state assessments, caution against reading raw percentages
Summary
District administrators told the Curriculum & Operations Committee that while raw PSSA percentages can seem low, growth measures show strong progress across most grades; officials cited cohort variation, staffing turnover and a mandated switch to computer testing in 2026 as factors to watch.
Upper Adams School District officials on Wednesday presented detailed analysis of this year’s Pennsylvania System of School Assessment results, telling the Curriculum & Operations Committee that growth measures show broad gains even where raw proficiency percentages appear low.
At a presentation led by Mr. Alban, the district emphasized that PSSA scores are a snapshot and should be read against state averages and cohort context rather than like a classroom 0–100 grade. "You can't interpret that test as a grading scale," Mr. Alban said, and he urged the board to use state averages for comparisons.
Why it matters: The district showed year-to-year variance driven by cohort composition, teacher turnover and student-level factors — from attendance to testing anxiety — which administrators said can make percentage comparisons misleading. Administrators pointed to Pennsylvania Value-Added Assessment System (PVAAS) growth data as a more telling indicator of progress: "All but one subject area in every grade level has made a year's worth of growth or more," Mr. Alban said.
Building leaders who spoke after the presentation described how they are translating the data into instruction. Mr. Kerstetter, the principal who reviewed an especially challenged cohort at Biglinville Elementary, said the low results were tracked in local assessments since kindergarten and that the school is using a multi-year reading initiative and targeted math alignment to improve outcomes: "We knew this cohort had some challenges," he said. Ms. Buckley, an intermediate-school principal, described interventions including Wilson reading, reorganized instructional assistants and grade-level teams to target gaps.
District context: Presenters noted statewide trends — math remains the most affected area since the pandemic — and flagged an upcoming administrative change: a law requiring computer administration of PSSA and Keystone exams beginning spring 2026. The district is preparing infrastructure and anticipates the transition may depress scores temporarily for some students.
What’s next: Principals and curriculum teams will continue work on early-warning systems, intervention scheduling and professional development. The committee did not take formal action on the assessment presentation; it served as an informational briefing and a roadmap for upcoming instructional planning.
Speakers quoted: Mr. Alban; Mr. Kerstetter; Ms. Buckley.
