Test Scores Increase at UD Elementary Schools

On Monday, the Upper Dublin School District released a comprehensive report detailing the scores of standardized testing for the 2010-11 school year. Patch dug through the information and is presenting the results from the four elementary schools here. See on scores at the high school, and on Sandy Run Middle School.

About the PSSAs

The Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSAs) tests grades three through six at the elementary school level. The UDSD report displayed PSSA results of each grade's math and reading scores, and then reported the percent of students in each of the following proficiency levels over the past six years: advanced, proficient, basic and below basic.

The report used the combined percent of students that fell into the top
two levels as a marker for success in that subject or demographic.

It should be noted that a criticism of PSSA scores is that particularly "smart" classes can move through the grade levels and skew results. Often times, this may show evidence of a particular group's abilities, and not necessarily the quality of education at each grade level.

Upper Dublin administrators cautioned against placing too much emphasis on test scores.

“In Upper Dublin, we continue to walk that fine line between preparing students to perform well on standardized tests and making sure this does not become the primary focus of our existence,” said school board president Michael Paston. “An excellent education involves much more than PSSA testing, and I hope we continue to find room for creativity and ensuring our students are prepared to be good citizens, spouses and parents, as well as good students and lifelong learners.”

Third grade reading scores up across the board

Reading scores for third grades students in Upper Dublin saw a near across the board increase. In total, the percent of students achieving proficient or advanced scores increased two percentage points, from 90.3 in 2010 to 92.1 in 2011, the highest mark in the past seven years.

Reading scores for students in the third grade also increased across all ethnicities. The percent of Asian-American students scoring advanced or proficient increased three and a half points, from 88.6 percent to 92.1 percent last year. African-American students increased three points, from 73.3 to 76.5 percent, and Caucasian students two points, from 91.2 to 93.2 percent in 2011.

ED students saw their scores slightly decrease, falling 6.7 points from 66.7 percent testing advanced or proficient in 2010 to 60 percent in 2011. The number of ED students testing "below basic" also increased from 8.3 percent to 20 percent. IEP students saw their average score jump 14 points, from 50 percent in 2010 to 64.1 percent in 2011.

Third grade math decreases a point overall, African-American and ED students backslide

The percent of third grade students achieving advanced or proficient grades on the PSSA's math portion decreased slightly, from 96.7 percent to 95.3 percent in 2011, with African-American students showing the greatest decline.

82.4 percent of third grade African-American students tested at advanced or proficient levels in 2011, down 11 points from 93.2 in 2010. However, the number still represents a positive trend from 2005 to 2008, when African-American students routinely tested in the 66-76 percent range. There were zero African-American students testing at "below basic levels," the third straight year this occurred.

Asian-American students saw a .3 percent increase to 97.4, the highest score for that ethnicity in seven years, while Caucasian students saw a slight decrease from 96.6 percent to 95.8 percent testing as advanced or proficient.

80 percent of ED students tested advanced or proficient in 2011, down nearly 16 points from 95.8 percent a year before. However, the numbers are significantly higher than in 2005 and 2006, when just over half of ED students tested in the top two categories.

Fourth grade reading scores increase, boosted by African-American and ED student performance

The percent of fourth grade students achieving advanced or proficient reading scores increased by nearly five points in 2011, from 88 to 92.9 percent. African-American students gained the most, rising 20 points from 66.7 percent to 87.5 percent testing in the top two categories.

Asian-American students saw a decrease from 93.5 percent to 89.5 percent testing advanced or proficient in 2011, while Caucasian students increased from 90 to 90.4 percent. ED students also saw big gains, increasing from 55.9 percent to 74.2 percent testing advanced or proficient, the highest number in six years. Scores of IEP students remained the same.

Fourth grade math students increase across the board

Fourth grade math scores increased 2.4 percentage points, from 95 percent in 2010 to 97.4 percent in 2011, the highest in six years. Asian-American students gained the most, with 100 percent testing advanced or proficient, up from 93.5 percent the year before.

African-American students increased from 90 to 93.8 percent, and Caucasian students from 95.8 percent to 97.9 percent testing advanced or proficient. ED students saw a slight decrease from 91.2 percent to 90.3 percent, while students in IEP programs saw eight point increase from 78.9 to 87.2 percent testing advanced or proficient.

Reading scores up across fifth grade

Scores improved in every fifth grade demographic, resulting in an overall increase of five points, from 81.3 percent to 86.7 percent of students scoring advanced or proficient in reading.

Caucasian students saw the largest improvement, up five points from 83.5 percent to 88.6 percent scoring advanced or proficient in 2011. Asian-American students improved four points, from 84.8 to 88.6 percent, while African-American students improved one point, from 66.7 percent to 67.7 percent. That score marked the highest in ten years.

ED students also improved, with 65.6 percent scoring advanced or proficient, up from 62.9 percent in 2010. Students in IEP programs saw the largest increase in performance, rising 12 points from 47.2 percent to 59.3 percent in the top two scoring categories.

Fifth grade math scores up, African-American, IEP, students fare well

Fifth grade math scores saw an overall increase of 3.5 points, from 89 percent to 92.5 percent of students scoring advanced or proficient, a ten-year high. African-American students gained the most, rising over 11 points from 63 to 74.2 percent scoring advanced or proficient. That number marks the second highest in 10 years, while the 3.2 percent scoring "below basic" is the lowest number ever achieved in that category.

Math scores of Asian-American fifth-graders fell slightly, from 93.9 percent in 2010 to 93.2 percent last spring. Caucasian students saw a three point increase to 94.7 percent.

ED students saw a major gain to 81.3 percent scoring advanced or proficient, up roughly 13 points from 68.6 percent a year before. Students in IEP programs also saw a major gain, rising 21 points to 76.3 percent of students advanced or proficient. The number marks the highest in ten years.