PA School Performance Profile: Wissahickon HS Earns Elite Marks

AMBLER, PA — Results from the statewide Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) have been published by the Department of Education, and the results from Wissahickon High School are very good.

Wissahickon High School earned an elite overall academic score of 100.7. The score factors in test scores and school performance data from all categories.

It's the third straight year Wissahickon has earned 100 or better in their performance profile, and the fourth straight year they've earned 99 or higher.

Wissahickon excelled in both Math and Literature, earning 91 percent and 94 percent proficiency in those categories, respectively. They also scored above average in Science with an 86.

The assessment, done each year, gives each school a score of up to 100 using several factors, including test scores, student improvement from the past year, as well as graduation rates. The standardized tests measure student performance and help lawmakers understand progress in various school districts. The published test results analyze performance among the student body as a whole and among students in the "historically underperforming" category, which includes students with disabilities, English language learners, and those who come from an economically disadvantaged background.

Wissahickon also earned high marks in the "closing the achievement gap" category, which represents how well the school is doing in improving the scores of historically underperforming students. Their grade was 83 in Math, 99 in Literature, and 100 in Science.

Graduation rates at Wissahickon remained very high as well, at 99.13 percent.

See how Wissahickon's overall academic score compared to area high schools below:

• Wissahickon - 100.7
• Spring-Ford - 97.3
• North Penn - 89.9
• West Chester East - 89.9
• Abington - 89.6
• West Chester Rustin - 88.4
• West Chester Henderson - 85.8
• Phoenixville - 80.8
• Norristown - 68.8
• Hatboro-Horsham - 67.8

Standardized exams have been a point of contention in the state, especially over the past year. Secretary of Education Pedro A. Rivera said that starting with the 2017-18 school year, required time to take the PSSA's would be decreased by two days.

"High-stakes testing does not tell the full story and the Department is taking several actions to better communicate student progress in our schools," Rivera added.

View the PA School Performance Profile database here.

Patch file photo