Pennsylvania students showed small improvements in math and larger declines in English language arts for the 2024-25 school year, according to the recently released Pennsylvania System for School Assessment (PSSA) tests, including the Keystone Exams.
However, English language arts proficiency decreased last year from 53.9 percent to 49.9 percent, a four percent loss.
Similar trends proved true for older students. For the Keystone exams given to students in grades 9, 10, and 11, algebra proficiency improved from 41.6 percent to 44.3 percent. But both biology and literature saw 1.1 percent decreases in proficiency.
“This year, the data shows that Pennsylvania’s targeted investments in education have resulted in more students attending school regularly, graduating on time, and leaving school equipped with the skills to choose a good career and chart their own course in life,” Acting Secretary of Education Dr. Carrie Rowe said in a statement.
The standardized tests measure student performance and help lawmakers understand progress in various school districts. They analyze performance among the student body as a whole and among students in the “historically underperforming” category, which includes students with disabilities, English language learners, and those who come from an economically disadvantaged background.
The data is used to help inform decisions about which districts need what type of support the most.
“While we see progress, we are focused on raising these scores,” Rowe added.
She said improving teacher training and increasing “structured literacy” support in classrooms were among the focuses of the state Department of Education.
As part of the state’s Future Ready PA Index, the state also measured an increase in four-year graduation rates from 87.6 percent in 2023-24, to 88 percent in 2024-25. That marks the third consecutive year of increase.