Definitions

The idea of holding schools, districts, educators, and students responsible for results (Pennsylvania Department of Education).

Act 158 of 2018 provides options for students to demonstrate postsecondary readiness and meet statewide graduation requirements, which will take effect for the graduating class of 2022 (Pennsylvania Department of Education).

A tool used to evaluate and measure what students have learned (Pennsylvania Department of Education). 

DRC provides customized assessment solutions for the Pennsylvania Department of Education, including psychometric and test security services; enhanced reporting; printing and packaging; distribution and collection; and image and scoring (Data Recognition Corporation).

Translating data into information and actionable knowledge that administrators and teachers can apply to current and future problems.

A website designed to provide quick, easy, and secure access to student performance results on the Keystone Exams and the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (eMetric).

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), first passed in 1965. ESSA replaces the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) passed in 2001 (and enacted in 2002). Each of these statutes has the same goal, to promote equal educational opportunity for traditionally underserved children. ESSA includes provisions that will help to ensure success for students and schools and provides each state with enhanced flexibility (U.S. Department of Education). 

“The Future Ready PA Index is a collection of school progress measures related to school and student success. The Index includes a range of assessment, on-track, and readiness indicators to more accurately report student learning, growth, and success in the classroom and beyond” (Pennsylvania Department of Education).

A form of standardized testing that attaches serious consequences to passing or failing. 

Keystone Exams are Pennsylvania’s statewide end-of-course assessments in designated content areas.  The Keystone Exams serve two purposes:

1. high school accountability assessments for federal and state purposes, and
2. a component of the statewide high school graduation requirement for students beginning with the class of 2022. 

The Keystone Exams include items written to the Assessment Anchors/Eligible Content aligned with the Pennsylvania Core Standards.  The Biology Keystone Exam includes items aligned with the enhanced Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Science (Pennsylvania Department of Education).

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 (enacted in 2002), which reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, required states to implement statewide accountability systems covering all public schools and students. NCLB increased accountability for states, school districts, and schools. (NCLB)

Annual learning goals a student should know and be able to do in specific subjects at specific grade levels (Pennsylvania Department of Education).

Pennsylvania’s State Plan details how the Pennsylvania Department of Education will implement the ESSA requirements (Pennsylvania Department of Education). 

“The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) oversees 500 school districts, more than 170 public charter schools, public cyber charter schools, career technology centers/vocational technical schools, public intermediate units, the education of youth in state juvenile correctional institutions, Head Starts, and publicly funded preschools, and community colleges” (Pennsylvania Department of Education).

“The annual Pennsylvania System School Assessment (PSSA) is a standards-based, criterion-referenced assessment which provides students, parents, educators and citizens with an understanding of student and school performance related to the attainment of proficiency of the academic standards.  These standards in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science and Technology identify what a student should know and be able to do at varying grade levels.  School districts possess the freedom to design curriculum and instruction to ensure that students meet or exceed the standards' expectations.  Every Pennsylvania student in grades 3 through 8 is assessed in English Language Arts and Math.  Every Pennsylvania student in grades 4 and 8 is assessed in science” (Pennsylvania Department of Education).    

The Pennsylvania School Performance Profile (SPP) is calculated annually and provides a school-level academic score for public schools, charter and cyber charter schools, and full-time comprehensive career and technical centers.  This singular summative score contains academic performance data and comprises 15 percent of each teacher and principal’s annual evaluation (Pennsylvania Department of Education). 

A test that requires all students to answer the same questions and can be scored in a consistent “standard” manner (Pennsylvania Department of Education). 

Pennsylvania reports subgroup performance for the following five subgroups:

1. all students;
2. economically disadvantaged students;
3. English learners;
4. race/ethnicity; and
5. students with disabilities. 

The minimum number of students is (minimum N) to report subgroup information is 20 students (Pennsylvania Department of Education).  

The Pennsylvania Value-Added Assessment System (PVAAS) is a statistical analysis of Pennsylvania (PA) state assessment data and provides Pennsylvania districts and schools with student growth data. “PVAAS measures student growth from one year to the next using state assessments, and reports whether a group of students maintained, exceeded, or fell short of their expected growth based on their prior testing history” (Pennsylvania Department of Education).