LINGERING EFFECTS
Pennsylvania standardized test scores continue to lag behind pre-pandemic numbers
Lingering impacts from COVID-19 were felt across the state’s education system last year as Pennsylvania students — including those in the Pittsburgh region — continued to perform worse on standardized tests than before the pandemic.
Scores on the 2022 Pennsylvania System of State Assessments — or PSSAs, which are administered to third through eighth grade students each spring — declined for the second consecutive year after classes were continually disrupted by school closures and online learning, according to data released this week by the Pennsylvania
Department of Education.
The tests were not administered in 2020 because of the pandemic.
“It’s not really unexpected to see decreases like this after a couple years of pretty substantial disruptions … but we do know that our members and our school districts here in Pennsylvania, they’ve been working really hard the past couple of years to try to minimize those missed or lost learning opportunities or to try to make up for them,” said Andrew Christ, managing director of government affairs at the Pennsylvania School
Overall statewide, English scores for students in third through sixth grades continued to decline year after year. Seventh and eighth graders saw an uptick in English scores when compared to 2021, but they have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Of third graders, about 52% scored proficient or above in English, which is down from almost 62% in 2019; fourth graders, 52%, down from almost 64%; fifth graders, 54%, down from 59%; and sixth graders, 56%, down from 63%.
According to the state, of seventh graders, about 57% scored proficient or above in English, which is down from 60% in 2019. Eighth graders scored almost 56% in 2022, down from 58%.
Math scores also remained slightly steady between 2021 and 2022, with some grades — including fourth — seeing an improvement. Similar to the English scores, however, math scores have not returned to what they were in 2019.
“Like states across the nation, we are not yet seeing test results at pre-pandemic levels,” acting Secretary of Education Eric Hagarty said in a statement. “However, student performance is generally improving yearover-year and schools across Pennsylvania are working overtime to accelerate learning and meet students where they are at as we emerge from the pandemic.”
That’s a similar mindset to that of Megan Van Fossan, superintendent at Sto-Rox School District.
Scores at the district were low — something Ms. Van Fossan said is similar to what they have seen in past years. Of seventh and eighth graders, 16% scored proficient or above in English while no students scored in that category for math.
At Sto-Rox Primary Center, 12% of students scored proficient or above in English and almost 6% in math. Similar numbers were reported at Sto-Rox Upper
Elementary with about 22% scoring in that category for English and 4% for math.
“I don’t think anyone’s surprised. … I think that every district in the commonwealth for the most part is not joyous about their scores,” Ms. Van Fossan said. “They’re frustrated. There’s so much work and energy going into the work we do every day with kids and then to see these results it’s just heartbreaking.”
She attributed the challenges facing the district largely to staffing, noting that “the reality is that well-funded districts have resources we do not have.”
In Sto-Rox, more than 90% of its 1,100 students are deemed economically disadvantaged.
With standardized testing, schools with high percentage of students living in poverty tend to have lower scores, while students in wealthier districts often fare better.
“It’s one step at a time and it’s collaborating with our community partners and most importantly our parents and to not get frustrated at that snapshot but to step back and say what are the areas of strength for each kid and what are those three or four areas of need and how do we work together collaboratively to help kids grow their skills,” she said. “Because that’s the most important thing.”
Sto-Rox is not alone in its struggles.
Of students at Linton Middle School in the Penn Hills School District, 29% scored proficient in English while only 5% did so in math. Elementary students saw similar numbers in English, with 26% scoring proficient, while math scores exceeded those of middle school students, coming in at 18%.
Other districts saw varying results.
Pittsburgh Public School students recorded different scores across the district. For example, 39% of students at Carmalt elementary in Overbrook scored proficient in English while dropping to almost 17% in math. At Pittsburgh Montessori in
Friendship, 74% scored proficient in English, and about 62% in math.
At Markham Elementary in Mt. Lebanon, numbers rose even higher, with 87% of students being proficient in English and almost 80% in math.
Howe elementary saw similar improvements, with about 87% proficient in English and 79% in math.
“Our students continue to meet or exceed the high expectations inherent in our educational system and community. … Families, educators, and community members should take great pride in the performance of the Mt. Lebanon School District,” Mt. Lebanon officials said in a statement pulled from their 2022 Student Academic Outcomes report.
Upper St. Clair, where scores hovered between 60% and 90% across the district, also saw improvements, said Superintendent John Rozzo.
“Overall we’re pleased with our performance but there is certainly room for growth and improvement,” Mr. Rozzo said.
While his district performed well on the PSSAs, he expressed concerns over statewide results and how those numbers have changed during the pandemic.
“You look at eighth grade math, I think we only had onefifth of the state being proficient or advanced,” Mr. Rozzo said. “That is concerning. I think it’s concerning overall. There seems to be a disconnect between the math assessment and math performance across the state and in our district.”
Mr. Christ with PSBA said districts are working to improve scores and overall education moving forward by implementing summer learning programs and other initiatives to combat learning loss.
He expects scores to improve as things return to normal following the pandemic.
“I think as students get more accustomed to in-person instruction and standardized testing I think we’ll see that improve as we move away from the pandemic,” Mr. Christ said.