Test Improvment Tips for Parents


Please visit the www.PAgrow.com this site will provide information about the standardized tests and links to the Pennsylvania Public Schools and the Pennsylvania Academic Standards in Reading and Mathematics, additional activities you can do with your child, including advanced activities, and fun mathematics activities and games for the whole family.

No Child Left Behind Act

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act signed into law by President Bush on January 8, 2002 not only reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, but also required significant changes and sweeping reforms.  The task before all of us is challenging, but holds great promise as we work together to implement effective practices so that all of our children have the skills necessary for success.

Overview of No Child Left Behind

This act redefined the federal role in K-12 education with special emphasis on closing the achievement gap.  The act is based on four principles:

• Stronger accountability for results
• Increased flexibility and local control
• Expanded options for parents
• Emphasis on teaching methods that have proven to work

· Introduction: No Child Left Behind

On Jan. 8, 2002, President Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). This new law represents his education reform plan and contains the most sweeping changes to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) since it was enacted in 1965. It changes the federal government's role in kindergarten-through-grade-12 education by asking America's schools to describe their success in terms of what each student accomplishes. The act contains the President's four basic education reform principles: stronger accountability for results, increased flexibility and local control, expanded options for parents, and an emphasis on teaching methods that have been proven to work.

An "accountable" education system involves several critical steps:

States create their own standards for what a child should know and learn for all grades. Standards must be developed in math and reading immediately. Standards must also be developed for science by the 2005-06 school year.

With standards in place, states must test every student’s progress toward those standards by using tests that are aligned with the standards. Beginning in the 2002-03 school year, schools must administer tests in each of three grade spans: grades 3-5, grades 6-9, and grades 10-12 in all schools. Beginning in the 2005-06 school year, tests must be administered every year in grades 3 through 8 in math and reading. Beginning in the 2007-08 school year, science achievement must also be tested.

Each state, school district, and school will be expected to make adequate yearly progress toward meeting state standards. This progress will be measured for all students by sorting test results for students who are economically disadvantaged, from racial or ethnic minority groups, have disabilities, or have limited English proficiency.

School and district performance will be publicly reported in district and state report cards. Individual school results will be on the district report cards.

If the district or school continually fails to make adequate progress toward the standards, then they will be held accountable.

The U.S. Department of Education wants to be a partner with states and school districts, and a resource for families and community members.   Also visit http://www.ed.gov for more detailed information about the legislation.

·Overview

As we mention above, the No Child Left Behind Act gives our schools and our country the most groundbreaking education reform in many years. The U.S. Congress thought it was so important that they passed it by overwhelming majorities of Democrats and Republicans.

Many people are interested in these new plans to improve education for our children—parents, educators, and people in your community like the small business owner down the street. The Department of Education realizes that few people have the time to read the whole law, so we have put together an overview of some of the most important points. If you would like more detailed information, please visit the website at www.ed.gov and look for "No Child Left Behind." You'll find more there.

Here is a description of the four basic education reform principles in No Child Left Behind: stronger accountability for results, increased flexibility and local control, expanded options for parents, and an emphasis on teaching methods that have been proven to work. These ideals are the foundation for the changes that you'll see in your local schools in the next few years.

Stronger Accountability For Results
States are responsible for having strong academic standards for what every child should know and learn in reading, math, and science for elementary, middle and high schools. Beginning in the 2002-03 school year, schools must administer tests in each of three grade spans: grades 3-5, grades 6-9, and grades 10-12 in all schools. Beginning in the 2005-06 school year, tests must be administered every year in grades 3 through 8. Beginning in the 2007-08 school year, science achievement must also be tested.

Results of these tests will show up in annual state and district report cards, so parents can measure their school's performance and their state's progress.

The state and district reports that parents see will show results for every student group. These reports show us achievement gaps between students who are economically disadvantaged, from racial and ethnic minority groups, have disabilities, or have limited English proficiency. The report cards will also sort results by gender and migrant status. Having this information will help close the achievement gap between students of different groups and make sure that no child is left behind.

Schools will be responsible for improving the academic performance of all students, and there will be real consequences for districts and schools that fail to make progress.

Within twelve years, all students must perform at a proficient level under their state standards. But, states will set their own standards for each grade—so each state will say how well children should be reading at the end of third grade, for example. Interested parents, families, and taxpayers can look to their state for detailed information about its academic standards.

Record Flexibility for States and Communities
The new law gives all 50 states and every local school district in America greater say in using the federal education dollars they receive every year.

States will have more freedom to direct more of their federal education money. That means local people will have more say about which programs they think will help their students the most.

No Child Left Behind combines and simplifies programs, so that schools don't have to cut through as much red tape to get and use federal funding.

Concentrating Resources on Proven Education Methods
No Child Left Behind will target education dollars to research-based programs that have been proven to help most children learn.

In 2002, $900 million will be distributed to states for the President's Reading First plan.

Federal dollars will be tied to programs that use scientifically proven ways of teaching children to read.

Communities will benefit from a federally funded program called Early Reading First. This program will help develop language and reading skills for pre-school children, especially those from low-income families.

Schools and teachers will get a boost from the more than $4 billion in 2002 that allows schools to promote teacher quality through training and recruitment.

More Choices for Parents
No Child Left Behind offers many new ways to help students, schools, and teachers. It also gives parents options for helping their children if they are enrolled in chronically failing schools. In fact these new parental choices will be available starting in the 2002-03 school year for students already enrolled in schools that have been identified as failing under current law.

Parents with a child enrolled in a failing school will be able to transfer their child to a better performing public school or public charter school.

For the first time, parents with children in a failing school will be able to use federal education funds for what are called "supplemental education services." Those services include tutoring, after school services, and summer school programs.

In 2002 approximately $200 million in federal funds could be available to state and local communities to help establish and fund charter schools. Parents interested in charter schools should check for information in their local school district or their state education agency. They can also check out the Department of Education website www.ed.gov for further information.

Regulations and Resolutions Related to No Child Left Behind

Approval of Standards of the Department of Education Necessary to Comply with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001

On November 13, 2002, the Department presented to the State Board two sets of proposed standards necessary to comply with the provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, 20 U.S.C. § 6301 et seq. At its meeting held November 14, 2002, the State Board approved both sets of proposed standards.  The resolutions adopted by the State Board reflecting its approval of the Department standards appear as follows. The State Board expects the Department to deposit the approved standards for publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.

Title I--Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged, Final regulations, 34 CFR Part 200 [OESE](PDF) (Federal Register Dec. 2, 2002)

The Secretary amends the regulations governing the programs administered under Title I, parts A, C, and D of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended (hereinafter referred to as the Title I programs.) These regulations are needed to implement recent changes to Title I of the ESEA made by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB Act).

Title I--Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged, Final regulations, 34 CFR Part 200 [OESE] (Federal Register Dec. 2, 2002)

The Secretary amends the regulations governing the programs administered under Title I, parts A, C, and D of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended (hereinafter referred to as the Title I programs.) These regulations are needed to implement recent changes to Title I of the ESEA made by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB Act).

Title I--Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged; 34 CFR Part 200 - Notice of proposed rulemaking [OESE] (PDF) (Federal Register August 6, 2002)

The Secretary proposes to amend the regulations governing the programs administered under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA)--referred to in these proposed regulations as the Title I programs.

Title I--Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged: Notice of proposed rulemaking, 34 CFR Part 200 [OESE] (Federal Register August 6, 2002)

The Secretary proposes to amend the regulations governing the
programs administered under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA)--referred to in these proposed regulations as the Title I programs. These proposed regulations are needed to implement recent changes to Title I of the ESEA made by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB Act).

Notice of Correction - U.S. Department of Education published two 60-day public comment period notices for the information collections (Federal Register August 6, 2002)

On July 31, 2002, the Department of Education published two
60-day public comment period notices for the information collections, ``Guidance to SEAs Seeking to Use an Alternative Method to Distribute Title I Funds to LEAs with Fewer Than 20,000 Total Residents'' and ``Guidance to SEAs on Procedures for Adjusting ED-determined Title I Allocations to Local Educational Agencies (LEAs).'' These notices were incorrectly published since comment period will be provided with the publication of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for Title I--Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged. The comment
period for these two information collections should coincide with the published NPRM. The Leader, Regulatory Information Management, Office of the Chief Information Officer, hereby issues a correction notice as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

Title I--Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged, 34 CFR Part 200, Final Regulations for Standards and Assessments [OESE] - PDF ( Federal Register July 5, 2002)

The Secretary amends the regulations governing programs administered under Title I, part A, of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA).

Title I--Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged; Final
Rule (Federal Register July 5, 2002)

These regulations implement recent changes to the standards and assessment requirements of Title I of the ESEA made by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB Act) and were drafted subject to a negotiated rulemaking process.

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education; Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as Amended (ESEA); Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged: Notice of meetings to solicit public comment on proposed regulations, 34 CFR Part 200 [OESE]

The Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education
(Assistant Secretary) of the Department of Education (Department) will convene five regional meetings to solicit additional public comment on the Department's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register. The NPRM would implement recent changes made by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB Act) to the standards and assessment requirements under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA). The proposed regulations were subjected to a negotiated rulemaking process, and we invited the public to submit comments on them. The Assistant Secretary is convening these regional meetings to provide the public additional opportunities to comment on the proposed regulations. 

Pennsylvania Accountability System Behind 

The Pennsylvania Accountability System applies to all public schools and districts.  It is based upon the State’s content and achievement standards, valid and reliable measures of academic achievement, and other key indicators of school and district performance such as attendance and graduation rates.  

Underlying Principles:

Applies to all schools and districts.

Based on Pennsylvania’s standards and content expectations.

Sets a goal of 100% of students proficient or above in reading and mathematics by 2014.

Uses a valid, reliable assessment system.

Recognizes both growth and absolute levels of performance.

Includes rewards, assistance, and consequences.

Is aligned with the federal No Child Left Behind legislation

Assessment Grades and Subjects for Accountability Purposes:

SY 2002-03: Grades 5, 8 and 11 Reading and Math

SY 2005-06: Grades 3, 4, 6, 7 Reading and Math

SY 2007-08: Grades 4, 7 and 10 Science

Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP):

Performance Indicators

Achievement in reading and mathematics

95% test participation

Improvement in student attendance, K-8

Improvement in four-year graduation rate, secondary schools

 Paths to Proficiency

Increasing % proficient or above (i.e., meeting AYP Intermediate Goals for all students and for subgroups).

Safe Harbor: 10% reduction in % not proficient.

Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) Goals for Core Subject Results:

Minimum Number of Students in a Subgroup:

The minimum number of students for subgroups (N) is 10 for reporting purposes and 40 for accountability.  An (N) of 40 allows a maximum number of schools to be included while also assuring the reliability and validity of decisions.   

Pennsylvania Performance Index:

Measures growth across all levels not just from Basic to Proficient.

Starts each school and subgroup at its own 2002 baseline.

Aims for 100 percent proficient or above by 2014.

Is not used to determine AYP, but is used to identify schools for rewards and recognition.

School Improvement:

1st year (of not meeting targets): Warning

2nd Year: School Improvement I

3rd Year: School Improvement II

4th Year of not meeting Targets:  Corrective Action I

5th Year: Corrective Action II

School Improvement:

School Improvement Year I:

School choice, school assistance teams, and a specific plan for improvement.

School Improvement Year II:

Same, plus supplemental services such as tutoring.

Corrective Action Year I:

Same as School Improvement plus significant changes in leadership, curriculum, professional development or other strategies.

Corrective Action Year II:

Same, plus significant changes in governance such as reconstitution, chartering, or privatization.

Exiting School Improvement or Corrective Action:

A school exits School Improvement or Corrective Action when it meets AYP targets for two consecutive years.  Schools do not start fresh under NCLB; their status carries over from the previous federal law (ESEA).

District and State Accountability:

Under NCLB, districts are accountable for the same goals as schools, with comparable rewards, supports, and consequences.  States also are accountable for the same goals.

Notification & Appeals:

Districts may appeal a school’s AYP determination because of data errors, unforeseen circumstances or significant growth.  Timelines and guidelines for appeals are posted on the PDE website.  

 Frequently Asked Questions - PA Accountability System

What is the Pennsylvania Accountability System?

Pennsylvania developed the Pennsylvania Accountability Plan in compliance with the Federal No Child Left Behind Law, which was enacted in 2002, as a way to measure school improvement and student achievement.

The Pennsylvania Accountability System:

Applies to all schools and students. 

Is based on Pennsylvania’s standards and content expectations. 

Sets a goal to have 100% of students proficient or above by 2014.

Uses a valid, reliable assessment system.

Provides for rewards, assistance and consequences.

How are schools measured?

Schools are evaluated on achievement using the PSSA, participation in those tests, and on attendance (at the elementary/middle school level) and graduation rate (at the high school level).  These measurements make up a school’s Adequate Yearly Progress, commonly known as AYP. Using 2001-2002 data as the starting point, Pennsylvania established the following AYP targets for 2003:

45% of students proficient or above in reading

35% of students proficient or above in math

95% student participation in the PSSA

Improvement in attendance/graduation rates

These expectations apply not only to the school or district as a whole, but also to the performance of subgroups, including racial/ethnic categories, low-income students, students with disabilities, and English Language Learners.

Will these targets change?

Yes. School and district targets will gradually become higher:

READING:

2002-2004 – 45% of students proficient or above.

2005-2007 – 54%

2008-2010 – 63%

2011 – 72%

2012 – 81%

2013 – 91%

2014 – 100%

MATH:

2002-2004 – 35% of students proficient or above.

2002-2007 – 45%

2008-2010 – 56%

2011 – 67%

2012 – 78%

2013 – 89%

2014 – 100%

What grades are going to be included for accountability purposes?

SY 2002-03 – Grades 5, 8 and 11 in Reading and Math.

SY 2005-06 – Grades 3, 4, 6, and 7 in Reading and Math.

SY 2007-08 – Grades 4, 7 and 10 in Science.

Grade 3 Reading and Math testing began in 2002-03, but results will not be a part of AYP calculations until 2005-06.

How do I know if my school is meeting its AYP?

The state, school districts, and schools will publish the results of the assessments every school year starting in 2002-2003 with the Academic Achievement Report.  This report also will be available online at www.pde.state.pa.us.  The report will list each school and indicate whether it is Meeting AYP Targets, Making Progress, or in School Improvement or Corrective Action.

What happens if a school meets its AYP?

The school will receive rewards and/or recognition after two consecutive years of meeting its targets.

What happens if a school does not meet its AYP?

In the first year of not meeting AYP, a school or district is placed in “warning” status. Warning means that the school fell short of the AYP targets but has another year to achieve them.  These schools are not subject to consequences.  Rather, they should examine, and where necessary modify, their improvement strategies so they will meet targets next year.  If a school does not meet its AYP for two consecutive years, it is designated as needing improvement and is placed in one of the following categories: 

School Improvement I

If a school does not meet its AYP for two years in a row students will be eligible for school choice, school officials will develop an improvement plan to turn around the school, and the school will receive technical assistance to help it get back on the right track.

School Improvement II

If a school or district does not meet its AYP for three years in a row, it must continue to offer public school choice and plan improvements.  Additionally, the school or district will need to offer supplemental education services such as tutoring. The district will be responsible for paying for these additional services.

Corrective Action I

A school or district is categorized in Corrective Action I when it does not meet its AYP for four consecutive years.  At this level, schools are eligible for various levels of technical assistance and are subject to escalating consequences (e.g., changes in curriculum, leadership, professional development). 

Corrective Action II

If a school or district does not meet its AYP for five years in a row, it is subject to governance changes such as reconstitution, chartering, and privatization. In the meantime, improvement plans, school choice, and supplemental education services are still required.

What is school choice?

If a school is identified as being in School Improvement, the school/district is required to offer parents the option of sending their child to another public school (including charter schools) within the school district. If no other school within the district is available, a district shall, to the extent practical, enter into a cooperative agreement with another district that will allow students to transfer.

How do parents know if their child is eligible for school choice?

School districts are required to notify parents if their child is eligible for school choice because his or her school has been identified as in School Improvement.

What are Supplemental Education Services (SES)?

If a school or district is identified as being in its second year of School Improvement, the school district is required to offer parents of eligible students the option of requesting supplemental education services, such as tutoring, after-school or summer school. 

Who are “eligible” students?

Eligible students are those from low-income families who remain in schools that fail to meet state standards for at least three years.  These students are given priority in school choice and supplemental education services.

Are students with limited English proficiency and disabilities going to be tested?

Yes. In order to show AYP, schools must test at least 95% of the various individual student groups, including students with disabilities and those with limited English Proficiency.  Accommodations may include reading tests to students or allowing extra time to interpret tests.  In the future, the Department will offer native language versions of the assessments for limited English proficient groups numbering 5000 or more.

When is a school no longer considered in need of improvement?

A school exits from the cycle when it meets its targets for two years in a row.

Do all schools start fresh under NCLB?

No. Schools that were given warnings under previous laws that they were not meeting AYP targets and continue to do so will continue in the School Improvement cycle.  Schools previously warned who do achieve AYP are considered to be making progress.

Where to go for more information:

No Child Left Behind, http://www.NoChildLeftBehind.gov

U.S. Department of Education, http://www.ed.gov

Pennsylvania Department of Education, http://www.pde.state.pa.us/pas/site/default.asp

Assessment

In 1999, Pennsylvania adopted academic standards for Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening and Mathematics. These standards 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.

The annual Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) is a standards based criterion-referenced assessment used to measure a student's attainment of the academic standards while also determining the degree to which school programs enable students to attain proficiency of the standards. Every Pennsylvania student in 5th, 8th and 11th grade is assessed in reading, math and writing.

Individual student scores, provided only to their respective schools, can be used to assist teachers in identifying students who may be in need of additional educational opportunities, and school scores provide information to schools and districts for curriculum and instruction improvement discussions and planning.

In compliance with §4.51(b)(4) of the PA School Code the State Board of Education approved, "specific criteria for advanced, proficient, basic and below basic levels of performance."

Pennsylvania's General Performance Level Descriptors Advanced The Advanced Level reflects superior academic performance. Advanced work indicates an in-depth understanding and exemplary display of the skills included in the Pennsylvania Academic Content Standards. Proficient The Proficient Level reflects satisfactory academic performance. Proficient work indicates a solid understanding and adequate display of the skills included in the Pennsylvania Academic Content Standards. Basic The Basic Level reflects marginal academic performance. Basic work indicates a partial understanding and limited display of the skills included in the Pennsylvania Academic Content Standards. This work is approaching satisfactory performance, but has not been reached.  There is a need for additional instructional opportunities and/or increased student academic commitment to achieve the Proficient Level. Below Basic The Below Basic Level reflects inadequate academic performance.  Below Basic work indicates little understanding and minimal display of the skills included in the Pennsylvania Academic Content Standards. There is a major need for additional instructional opportunities and/or increased student academic commitment to achieve the Proficient Level.

Introducing the Assessment Anchors

What are Assessment Anchors?

The Assessment Anchors clarify the standards assessed on the PSSA and can be used by educators to help prepare their students for the PSSA.  We used the metaphor of an “anchor” because we wanted to signal that the Assessment Anchors would anchor both the state assessment system and the curriculum/instructional practices in schools. 

Why do we need Assessment Anchors if we already have the Pennsylvania standards?

Since 1999, the teachers across the Commonwealth have been using a set of state standards to develop curriculum and instructional materials.  Likewise, the Department and teacher committees have been using the standards to develop the state assessments.  Over the last few years, however, teachers have expressed a need for a clearer document, noting that the Pennsylvania standards were often too broad and too many.  The Assessment Anchors target a specific band of standards, enabling the PSSA to have a higher level of clarity. 

Do the Assessment Anchors replace the Pennsylvania standards?

No.  The Assessment Anchors do not replace the standards.  All teachers are still required to teach to all of the standards per Chapter 4 Regulations and use local assessments to measure student progress.  The Anchors simply clarify which standards are assessed on the PSSA.

Will teachers teach only the Assessment Anchors and ignore other knowledge and skills?

The Assessment Anchors were written with the intent of having interdisciplinary discussions about how the Mathematics and Reading Anchors can be taught in Science, Social Studies, the Arts and other content areas.  The intent of the Anchors is not to narrow the curriculum, but to focus teachers on the essential skills and knowledge in Reading and Mathematics that must be taught across the curriculum, given the limited amount of time teachers have with students.

How were the Assessment Anchors selected, and by whom?

The Department of Education identified the Assessment Anchors based on the recommendations of teachers serving on the Mathematics and Reading Assessment Advisory Committees and other curriculum experts.  We also looked to national organizations (i.e., NCTM, NCTE and NAEP) and other external groups for input.  We had seven criteria in mind with the development of the Anchors.  We wanted the Assessment Anchors to be:

 ØClear.  We wanted to clarify which standards are assessed on the PSSA. The Anchors should be easy to read and user-friendly.

 ØFocused.  No state assesses every single standard on its statewide assessments—it would be impossible.  Rather than have teachers “guess” which standards are most critical, the Anchors identify a core set of standards that could reasonably be assessed on a large-scale assessment. 

 ØAligned. The focus is on helping students achieve the state’s standards.  The Anchors align directly to the state’s standards in Reading and Mathematics.  The Anchors simply clarify the standards.

 ØGrade Appropriate. Teachers may have different ideas about what skills should be mastered by which grade levels.  The Anchors provide clear examples of skills and knowledge that should be learned at the different grade levels that will be assessed on state tests.

 ØOrganized to support a curricular flow.  Rather than simply identifying Anchors in the grades for which the state has standards, we developed Assessment Anchors in Grades 3 through 8 and 11 to encourage a curricular spiral that builds each year to the next.

 ØRigorous.  We wanted to maintain the rigor of the state standards through the Anchors.  The state will continue to use performance tasks to assess higher order reasoning and problem solving skills.

 ØManageable.  We wanted to identify a set of standards that could be taught in a manageable way before the Spring administration of the PSSA.  We are looking forward to doing additional analysis to see if we have, in fact, identified a manageable set of expectations from the curricular view.

How are the Assessment Anchors organized?

The Anchors are only available in Mathematics and Reading in Grades 3 through 8 and 11.  In the document you will find the following:

 ØReporting Category.  The Anchors are organized by Reporting Category.  The Reporting Category appears at the very top of each page.  There are five Reporting Categories in Mathematics and two Reporting Categories in Reading. Reporting Categories are important because individual student scores will be reported at this level. District and school reports may include reports by Assessment Anchor if there are enough questions on the PSSA to warrant a valid score by the broad Anchor statement.

 ØAssessment Anchor.  The Assessment Anchor appears in the shaded bar across the top of the page.  You read the Anchor like an outline with the main concept shaded in gray.  Just beneath, in the left-hand column, are more specific descriptors that can be used for instructional purposes.  Both the concept in the shaded gray area and the descriptors (which appear one per page) are part of the Anchor.

 ØReferences.  Below each specific descriptor of the Assessment Anchor is a reference in italics.  This reference relates to the PA Academic Standards and helps you cross-walk the Anchors to the Standards.

 ØEligible Content.  The column on the right-hand side of the page underneath each Assessment Anchor is the Eligible Content.  This is often known as the “assessment limits” and helps teachers identify how deeply they need to cover an Anchor and/or the range of the content they should teach to best prepare their students for the PSSA.  Not all of the Eligible Content is assessed on the PSSA, but it shows the range of knowledge from which we design the test.

 ØSample Items.  The sample items appear on the bottom half of the page.  These are examples of how the Assessment Anchor might appear on the PSSA.  Some of the pages may not have any sample items because we only created three per Assessment Anchor.  We will be continually adding to the sample items.  For other sample items teachers should consult the released items on the state website. 

How can teachers, schools and districts use the Assessment Anchors?

The Assessment Anchors can help focus teaching and learning because they are clear and manageable – and closely aligned to the PSSA.  Teachers and Administrators will be better informed about which standards will be assessed on state tests.  The Assessment Anchors should be used in combination with the Assessment Handbooks that include the test blueprints and Released Tasks from the PSSA.  With this degree of information, teachers can more easily embed these skills and knowledge in the larger curriculum.  For example, reading for inference is a skill that all students at any level need to learn and practice.  Staff can share the responsibility for teaching this skill in English, as well as other areas in the curriculum.  Even elective and support staff can “adopt” an Assessment Anchor.  In this way, an entire school and community can teach and reinforce these critical Reading and Mathematics standards.

What is the difference between the Assessment Anchors and "anchor papers"?

Anchor papers are not the same as the Assessment Anchors.  In order to score open-ended items on the PSSA, PA teachers read a sampling of the student responses on the open-ended items and try to identify responses or "papers" that exemplify the different score points on the rubric.  These responses are called "anchor papers." They are called anchor papers because they "anchor" the scoring process.  Once teachers reach consensus on the anchor papers, they are used by trained teachers to score all of the open-ended responses on the PSSA.  When the Department releases open-ended items with student work, the anchor papers are often released with the items.

What kind of training is being offered by the State to help teachers understand the Assessment Anchors?

The Bureau of Assessment and Accountability and the Bureau of Curriculum and Academic Services are sponsoring regional trainings in partnership with the Intermediate Units.  At these trainings, we will discuss a few strategies for introducing the Assessment Anchors into curriculum/instruction/assessment discussions at the district/school levels.  The Assessment Anchors will also be the basis of all of the Governor’s Institutes that include sessions on Reading/Mathematics content.

Will the anchors ever be revised or changed?

Like the standards, the Anchors will be reviewed periodically to ensure that they represent the most important skills and knowledge that should be assessed on the PSSA.  We are in the process of working with higher education institutions and others to ensure that the 11th Grade Assessment Anchors are benchmarked to the requirements of both the workplace and post-secondary institutions.

Parents

Recognizing that parents are children’s first and most important teachers, the PA Department of Education plans to use this space to make it easy for parents to find  some of the most useful resources on our web site.

Here are some links we hope you'll find worthwhile: 

Academic Standards

Pennsylvania is in the process of adopting rigorous academic standards to guide the education of children in the state. 

Charter Schools

Charter Schools are self-managed public schools that are approved by local school districts.  Cyber charter schools are approved by the PA Department of Education.  They are created and controlled by parents, teachers, community leaders, and colleges or universities. Charter schools operate free from many educational mandates, except for those concerning nondiscrimination, health and safety and accountability. Charter Schools offer alternatives in education using strategies that may save money and improve student performance.

Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

If you're a working family but don't have health insurance for your kids, now you can cover them free or at low cost with Pennsylvania's Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).  Knowledgeable, courteous counselors are available at 1-800-986-KIDS to assist you in the easy enrollment process.  A brochure in PDF format is also available in both English and Spanish.

College Profiles

Each College/University Profile includes tuition, room and board charges, fall enrollments, residency of first-time freshmen, degrees conferred and fall staff for all Pennsylvania colleges and universities. The data is gathered annually as part of the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Additional data is available upon request by calling or e-mailing the address listed in the source.

EdNA

EdNA (Education Names and Addresses) can be used to find name, address, administrator, and related information about the educational entities that PDE serves. These entities include school districts and their schools, intermediate units, area vocational technical schools, charter schools, nonpublic and private schools, nursery schools, higher education institutions, and many more. 

Family Connections

The Family Connections kit has been developed to increase parent knowledge and understanding of the Pennsylvania Academic Standards and the Pennsylvania System of Student Assessment (PSSA).  It offers an explanation of the Academic Standards through materials, resources and activities that parent trainers can use to provide information to families. 

Going Places on the Web:  Places for Parents

Links to some very useful sites for parents elsewhere on the Internet.

Home Education and Private Tutoring

In 1988, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed Act 169. This law amended the Pennsylvania School Code to allow parents or guardians to homeschool their children as an option to compulsory school attendance. Private tutoring is another option for satisfying compulsory school attendance requirements.

No Child Left Behind

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act signed into law by President Bush on January 8, 2002 not only reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, but also required significant changes and sweeping reforms.  The task before all of us is challenging, but holds great promise as we work together to implement effective practices so that all of our children have the skills necessary for success.

Report Cards

As part of the Pennsylvania Accountability System and in compliance with No Child Left Behind (NCLB), Pennsylvania and all districts within the Commonwealth are required to create report cards at the beginning of the school year.  Under NCLB, all Title I schools are also required to develop school report cards at the beginning of the school year.  In the future, all schools will be required to develop report cards with the assistance of the state so districts are encouraged to help all of their schools develop school report cards this year.  Report cards for this transitional year should be available to the public at the beginning of the school year or no later than October 30, 2003.

School Choice

This is a link to the U.S. Department of Education's website with information about the
Supreme Court's ruling on school choice.

School Finance 101

Learn how much we spend, where the money comes from, who controls school spending, how you can participate. 

Statistical Reports

Many reports summarizing data collected by the Department of Education are available on the PDE web site

Your Schools Your Money

For many years now, school district financial information has been provided in a format to meet the needs of accountants and auditors. Shouldn't there be an easier way to understand where our schools spend public dollars?   This site will help taxpayers understand information and make informed decisions that will help our children, and the schools that educate them.

Pennsylvania Department of Education Information for Parents