Pennsylvania Education Department Reports Improvement in Statewide Achievement

Education news

PENNSYLVANIA — The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has released the results from the 2022-23 school year administration of state-level assessments. The data shows that students’ overall achievement continues to improve across all subject areas.

Highlights from the report:

  • The overall improvement aligns with gains seen in other states.
  • English Language Arts proficiency increased from 54.1% in 21-22 to 54.5% in 22-23.
  • Math proficiency rose from 35.7% in 21-22 to 38.3% in 22-23.
  • Science proficiency jumped from 54.4% in 21-22 to 58.9% in 22-23.
  • English Learner Growth and Attainment improved significantly, rising from 22.2% in 21-22 to 29% in 22-23.

“This year’s assessment results underscore what we have said before—that with each passing year, participation and achievement will continue to improve,” said Secretary of Education Dr. Khalid N. Mumin. “Pennsylvania’s results are well on their way to returning to pre-pandemic rates and we look forward to helping our students exceed those levels in the years ahead.”

The Future Ready PA Index, a comprehensive reporting system for presenting school-level data across a broad range of indicators, also shows continued improvement. Four-year cohort graduation rates increased to 87%, and career readiness indicators rose to 89.5%.

Statewide assessments include the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment for grades 3 through 8; end-of-course Keystone Exams administered in middle and high school depending on when students take the corresponding subject; and the Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment that ensures equitable participation by students who are unable to participate in the general assessments.

Assessment participation rates across the state have been affected over the past three years due to the requirement for in-person administration.

It’s important to note that Act 136 of 2020 waived “banked scores” for middle and high school students who would have taken a Keystone Exam in the school year 2019-20. This decreased the count of eligible testers in the cohort of test takers and will impact Keystone results reporting through at least 2023-24.

As schools across the Commonwealth continue to use innovative new approaches, such as online assessments, to increase flexibility for educators and students, we can expect to see further improvement in results over the coming years.

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