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Big Spring to pilot Firefly assessment in middle school ahead of PSSA online testing
Summary
District said it will pilot the Firefly benchmark in middle school during winter to both test the platform and give students practice with the online environment used for PSSAs; the move aims to clarify whether assessment choice contributes to observed growth differences.
During a presentation on assessment calendars, the district's curriculum director said the middle school will pilot the Firefly benchmark in the winter window in place of I-Ready to evaluate both the data it produces and student familiarity with the online PSSA platform.
"We're going to pilot the Firefly in the winter rather than the I-Ready," the presenter said, adding that the Firefly runs through the same platform students will use for their PSSAs and will therefore give them exposure to that testing environment. Board members asked whether test-selection or developmental factors explain slower middle-school gains; district leaders cited test fatigue and the different assessment tools as plausible contributors and said the pilot will help distinguish those causes.
The district also described its high-school assessment plan, noting transitions in literature benchmarks and use of Keystone course-focused assessments. Officials said they will continue to analyze aligned local and state measures before making long-term changes.
