Radnor SD Not Pleased With State's School Performance Profile Scoring Methods

The Radnor Township School District released a statement Friday addressing the state's School Performance Profile scores, skewering the state metrics and methodology.

In the statement, district Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Dr. Maureen A. McQuiggan said despite the state-issued scores, the district is performing well in various areas.

"Our test scores continue to be competitive," McQuiggan said. "Through a wide variety of measures such as local assessment scores, SAT and ACT scores, AP results and college placements, our district continues to demonstrate excellence. We also demonstrate through innumerable, harder-to-quantify ways that our district is a dynamic learning environment that fosters creativity, problem solving, collaboration, critical thinking, community involvement, and social and academic success."

McQuiggan said the district has "little confidence" in the SPP scores, saying the district has seen errors and inconsistencies in previous years' results.

But the district is finding a silver lining in the SPP scores despite its unfavorable view of the scores, as it is "welcoming the idea" of using the SPP scores to identify any areas the district deems in need of reassessment, as well as honoring district students, faculty, and staff for their achievements in the SPP scores.

Radnor High School earned a score of 89.7, which was an increase from the 2014-2015 SPP scores. Ithan, Radnor, and Wayne elementary schools scored 85.3, 77.9, and 67.7, respectively. Radnor Middle School scored 70 points.

While the high school score got a bump up, all middle and elementary scores were down from the last year SPP scores were handed out to Kindergarten through eighth grade schools.

"Last year the Department of Education changed the PSSA in grades 3-8 to a more difficult exam aligned to PA Core Standards," McQuiggan said of the low scores in elementary and middle schools. "As a result, students scored significantly lower across the state on those exams and the Pennsylvania Department of Education did not release SPP scores for the 2014-15 year. New baseline data had to be established in order to calculate achievement gap and growth gains."

She said Radnor, not unlike many other schools across Pennsylvania, saw their scores fluctuate from previous years.

"While we are frustrated by the ever-changing formulas, factors and tests upon which these scores are calculated, we continue to remain extremely confident and proud of the daily teaching and learning that occurs in our schools," she said.

Image via Radnor Township School District