Education Committee

August 31, 2015

Welcome◦ Education Chair: Mrs. Sue Smith

Pledge of Allegiance

New 2015 PSSA Exams

Literacy Committee Update

C2BC – Cool to be Clean Initiative

Public Comment

Agenda

New 2015 PSSA Exams

New Exams◦ The new PSSA Exams were administered in the

Spring of 2015 to students in Grades 3 – 8. Exams were fully aligned to new, more rigorous PA

Core Standards. The 2015 PSSA exams measure different content

than previously administered PSSAs exams. The PSSA Reading Exam was changed to the PSSA

English Language Arts (ELA) exam, which tests both reading and writing.

Some material is being tested a full grade level earlier than under the previous Academic Content Standards.

New 2015 PSSA Exams

Raising the Bar◦ The State Board of Education approved new “cut

scores” for determining student performance. A committee of 58 Pennsylvania educators

developed the cut scores in June 2015.◦ The new cut scores have resulted in fewer

students scoring proficient and advanced across Pennsylvania.

◦ Student performance on the new PSSA Exams can not be compared to performance on prior PSSA Exams.

New 2015 PSSA Exams

New 2015 PSSA Exams

“It isn’t useful to compare these student results directly to past results, because the tests are different. Student performance hasn’t changed, but the test has changed considerably in some grades.”

-- Nicole Reigelman Pennsylvania Department of

Education Press Secretary

New 2015 PSSA ELA ExamState Level Data

Impact: Distribution of Student Performance in PA - ELA Exam

New 2015 PSSA Math ExamState Level Data

Impact: Distribution of Student Performance in PA - Math Exam

Grade Reading 2013-14

ELA 2014-15

Difference

Math 2013-14

Math 2014-15

Difference

3 70.3 62.1 -8.2 75.1 48.5 -26.6

4 68.7 58.6 -10.1 76.3 44.5 -31.8

5 60.6 62 1.4 77.2 42.8 -34.4

6 64.5 59.8 -4.7 72 39.8 -32.2

7 72.1 58.6 -13.5 76.7 33.1 -43.6

8 79.6 58.3 -21.3 73.6 29.9 -43.7

Avg: -9.4 -35.4

New 2015 PSSA Exams State Level Data

Impact: Fewer students scoring Advanced/Proficient in PA

Key Dates:◦ September 9, 2015 – PSSA Data Interaction

Report will be made available to districts. This will allow the District to customize results to better understand the data and to plan professional development.

◦ September 14, 2015 – PSSA Individual Student Reports will be delivered to help better explain the new 2015 PSSA exams. A “Report Interpretation Guide” will be included.

◦ September 29, 2015 – Public Release of School Performance Profiles (SPPs).

New 2015 PSSA Exams

Literacy Committee Update

“What appears to differentiate those who are more likely to be ready [for post-secondary education] from those who are less likely is their proficiency in understanding complex texts.”

-- ACT’s Reading Between the Lines

Background/Timeline◦ Committee of parents, teachers, administrators,

and Board members first met in September 2014.

◦ The work was postponed until 2015 – 2016 school year to: Provide additional training to teachers on curriculum

writing. Analyze new PSSA data aligned to PA Core

Standards.

Literacy Committee Update

Focused Teacher Support◦ Starting in January of 2015, the District:

Partnered with the Institute for Learning (IFL) of the University of Pittsburgh’s Learning Research and Development Center (LRDC)

Trained teachers on text selection, best practices in pedagogy and content, and unit writing to better meet the demands of more rigorous PA Core Standards.

Conducted Grade Level Trainings: K – Grade 2 Grades 3 – 5 Grades 6 – 8

Teacher Professional Development

sive

Reading Informational

Text

Reading Literature

Foundational Skills Writing Speaking & ListeningA necessary

component of an effective,

comprehensive reading program

designed to develop proficient

readers.

Enables students to read,

understand, and respond to

informational texts.

Enables students to read,

understand, and respond to literature.

Develops the skills of informational,

argumentative, and narrative writing as well as the ability to engage in evidence based analysis of text and research.

Focuses students on communication skills that enable critical listening

and effective presentation of

ideas.

PA Core StandardsEnglish Language Arts & Literacy

PA Core Standards

First Meeting is scheduled on Thursday, September 24 at 3:45 p.m. in the Board Room to review the work to date.

After first meeting, we will create two committees: K – Grade 5 Committee/Learning to Read Grades 6 – 12 Committee/Reading to Learn

Continue training for teachers on selecting texts, best practices and writing curriculum.

Pilot new units and novels for students.

Next Steps

C2BC - Cool to be Clean Initiative

Public Comment