Office Menu:

Category: literacy

PSSA Performance by Primary Disability Category, 2022-23

PSSA Performance by Primary Disability Category, 2022-23

This data brief reports on 2022-23 PSSA performance for SDP students who qualify for special education services and have an active Individualized Education Program (IEP). Results are summarized by primary disability category.

PSSA Performance Trends in SDP:  2018-19 to 2022-23

PSSA Performance Trends in SDP: 2018-19 to 2022-23

At the School District of Philadelphia, PSSA performance is the focus for three of the five goals adopted by the Board of Education. This data brief describes District-wide trends in PSSA performance between the 2018-19 (pre-Covid) and 2022-23 school years.

End of Year Analysis of Participation and Performance on the Star Assessments at the School District of Philadelphia: 2022-23

End of Year Analysis of Participation and Performance on the Star Assessments at the School District of Philadelphia: 2022-23

Since the 2021-22 school year, the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) has administered Star assessments as a universal screener and progress monitoring tool for all grades, K-12. This report summarizes findings on participation, performance, and growth across Fall and Spring Star testing windows in 2022-23, with comparisons to 2021-22 outcomes and details on performance of different student groups. A report addendum extends the analyses to focus on the relationship between attendance and student performance on Star assessments.

English Learner Performance on the 2021-22 ACCESS, Star Reading, and Star Math Assessments

English Learner Performance on the 2021-22 ACCESS, Star Reading, and Star Math Assessments

The ACCESS assessment is administered to English Learners (ELs) annually each winter to measure their progress toward English proficiency. Star Computer Adaptive Tests (CATs) are a suite of assessments administered 3-4 times during the school year to students in grades K-12 that measure students’ reading and math skills, monitor achievement and growth, and track how well students understand skills aligned to state and Common Core standards. Although some ELs are excused from participation in Star, most take Star Reading and Math. This report examines EL performance on the ACCESS and EL performance on Star within the context of ACCESS performance.

The School District of Philadelphia in Context: Changes in Statewide PSSA Performance, 2019-2022

The School District of Philadelphia in Context: Changes in Statewide PSSA Performance, 2019-2022

This research brief highlights the changes in the percentage of students scoring in the Proficient or Advanced performance groups on the PSSA exams from 2019 (pre-Covid) to 2022 (post-Covid) in Pennsylvania school districts.

PSSA and Keystone Performance Trends: 2014-15 to 2021-22

PSSA and Keystone Performance Trends: 2014-15 to 2021-22

The 2021-22 school year was the first year that the PSSAs and Keystones were administered normally since 2018-19 (pre-pandemic). These briefs describe District-wide performance trends on the PSSAs and the Keystone exams from 2014-15 to 2021-22.

Star Reading Curriculum Based Measures (CBM) Participation and Performance: 2021-22

Star Reading Curriculum Based Measures (CBM) Participation and Performance: 2021-22

In the 2021-22 school year, the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) transitioned to Star Assessments as the District-wide universal screener for reading and math for all students in grades K-12. Star Assessments can be organized into two categories: computer-adaptive tests (CATs) and curriculum-based measures (CBMs). Star Reading CBMs are administered to students in grades K-5. This report examines student participation in and performance on Star Reading CBM assessments in the four testing windows during the 2021-22 school year.

Classroom Modernizations: Cohort 5 (2021-22) Evaluation

Classroom Modernizations: Cohort 5 (2021-22) Evaluation

In the summer of 2021, the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) redesigned 133 pre-kindergarten to third-grade classrooms into interactive learning environments. Physical renovations and classroom set-ups were completed by the start of the 2021-22 school year. This was the fifth cohort of classrooms to receive renovations and accompanying professional development sessions and materials. This report uses teacher survey data to evaluate teacher satisfaction with the project and perceived benefits to instructional practices and student outcomes.

Fall 2021 Performance on the Star Assessments for Students who Attended 2021 Summer Programs offered by SDP

Fall 2021 Performance on the Star Assessments for Students who Attended 2021 Summer Programs offered by SDP

This report and the accompanying addendum examine fall 2021 Star Reading and Math assessment performance for SDP students who attended 2021 summer programming compared to a matched sample of students who did not attend summer programming.

Within-Year Reading and Math Assessment Participation and Performance for Students in Grades K-12: A comparison of Fall 2020 and Fall 2021

Within-Year Reading and Math Assessment Participation and Performance for Students in Grades K-12: A comparison of Fall 2020 and Fall 2021

In fall 2020, all SDP students in grades K-12 attended school virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and students in grades K-5 took the within-year aimswebPlus Reading and Math assessments while students in grades 6-12 took the within-year Star Reading and Math assessments. In fall 2021, students returned to school in person, and all grades K-12 took the within-year Star Reading and Math assessments. Star includes an additional performance group, and the process of categorizing students into performance groups differs between aimswebPlus and Star. This set of reports compares student participation and performance on the within-year assessments in fall 2020 and fall 2021 given this context.