PA School Performance Profile: Norristown's Scores Sharply Drop

NORRISTOWN, PA — Results from the statewide Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) have been published by the Department of Education, and the results from Norristown Area High School are discouraging.

The high school's overall academic score, which factors in test scores and school performance data from all categories, came in at well below average at 68.8. This is Norristown's worst mark since 2013-14, and more than nine points below its 77.9 score last year.

The school struggled most with Math and Science, scoring 58.51 percent proficiency and 51.08 percent proficiency in those subjects, respectively. However, those are similar to the scores the school achieved last year.

A more marked drop came in Literature, where the school scored 65, compared to 76 last year.

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.

Norristown's worst marks and most drastic drops from last year came in the "closing the achievement gap" categories, which represents how well the school is doing in improving the scores of historically underperforming students. In 2015-16, the school scored 24 in Math but 100 in both Literature and Science in that category. In 2016-17, those scores dropped to 19 for Math, 0 for Literature, and 78 for Science.

Graduation rates at Norristown did remain strong, coming in at 89.97 percent this year. The school's graduation rate has increased slightly every year for the last three years.

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

• Spring-Ford - 97.3
• North Penn - 89.9
• Abington - 89.6
• 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.

Patch file photo