Editor’s note: A story about Lackawanna County schools’ standardized test scores published Saturday used the wrong data to evaluate students’ performance. This story corrects that information.
Lackawanna County schools’ 2025 standardized test results revealed a widening performance gap.
While the county’s elite districts maintained a narrow lead, a few unexpected standouts — Lakeland and Old Forge — surged with double-digit gains. Already struggling districts saw their proficiency scores slide even further in the most recent round of state testing.
The Pennsylvania System of School Assessment tests are taken by students in grades 3 through 8, with students tested in English language arts and math, while the Keystone Exams test juniors in Algebra I, biology and literature.
The Keystone and PSSA exams place students into four categories: below basic, basic, proficient and advanced, with schools striving for proficient and above. The Times-Tribune analyzed test scores for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years, comparing districts based on their average proficiency.
Gains on Keystone scores
On the Keystones, many districts improved in their test scores. Abington Heights, Valley View and Lakeland school districts had the highest average percent proficient and above on all subjects tested last year, according to a Times-Tribune analysis.
Abington Heights had an average proficiency or above of 77.3% for all three subjects tested, a slight decrease of less than 1 percentage point from the average of 77.5% in 2024. There were slight increases in Abington Heights’ biology and literature scores, increasing by 1.7 percentage points in biology to 75.7% and by one percentage point in literature to 87.1%, while the district’s Algebra I scores decreased by 3.4 percentage points to 69%.
With the second highest average proficiency among districts in the county, Valley View had a gain of nearly 3 percentage points in its average percent proficient and above on all subjects to 67.8%. Valley View’s Algebra I score increased nearly 6 percentage points to 55.2%, while its literature score increased by 2 percentage points to 80% and its biology score went up less than one percentage point to 68.3%.
Lakeland’s average proficiency advanced or above was among the largest increases in the county, rising nearly 11 percentage points on all subjects to 65.6%. At Lakeland, the district had its largest increase in its Algebra I score of nearly 15 percentage points to 51.5%, while its biology score went up almost 11 percentage points to 68.3% and its literature score increased nearly 7 percentage points to 77%.
Districts with the lowest average percent proficient and above were the Scranton and Carbondale Area school districts. Scranton’s average percent proficient and above dipped 6.2 percentage points ]from 2024 to 2025 to 29.6%, while Carbondale Area’s dropped 6.7 percentage points to 32.2%.
Both districts had decreases in the subject areas tested. Carbondale Area’s literature score went down almost 10 percentage points to 48.7%, almost 8 percentage points in biology to 23.7% and 2.6 percentage points in Algebra I to 24.3%. Scranton’s literature score decreased by 13 percentage points to 41.8%, its biology score decreased 6.2 percentage points to 24.6% and its Algebra I score went up less than one percentage point to 22.3%.
The Old Forge School District had the largest increase in its average percent proficient and above of school districts in the county, going up 14.3 percentage points from 2024 to 2025 to 61%. Its largest increases were in literature, up 20.7 percentage points to 72.9%, while Algebra I scores went up 14.4 percentage points to 45.7% and its biology scores went up nearly 8 percentage points to 64.3%.
In 2024, Old Forge was the only district in the county to have 0% advanced in any category, which was literature. The following year, it had 12.9% advanced in the subject.
PSSA results decreased
On the PSSA, most districts saw decreases in their scores. Abington Heights, North Pocono and Lakeland had the highest average percent proficient or above in 2025. (The PSSA tested students in grades 4 and 8 in science in 2024 but not in 2025.)
Abington Heights had an average proficiency advanced or above of 60.9%, a slight decrease of less than 1 percentage point from 2024 in English language arts and math combined, while Abington Heights’ English language arts score decreased nearly 5 percentage points to 61.8% and its math score went up 4 percentage points to 60%.
North Pocono had the second highest average proficiency advanced or above at 56.5%, which also decreased less than 1 percentage point in English language arts and math. Its math score increased 2 percentage points to 50.1% and its English language arts score decreased nearly 4 percentage points to 62.9%.
Lakeland had the third highest average at 50.3% in English language arts and math, and unlike the two top scoring districts, it went up by nearly 3 percentage points in the subjects, according to the analysis. Lakeland’s math score went up 6.4 percentage points to 46.9% and English language arts score decreased less than one percentage point to 53.7%.
Like the Keystones, the districts with the lowest average percent proficient or above for 2025 in English language arts and math were Scranton, with 21.9%, a decrease of nearly 3 percentage points in the subjects and Carbondale Area, with 20.2%, down 8.4 percentage points.
In the subject areas tested, Scranton increased its math score by nearly 2 percentage points to 18%, while its English language arts score decreased 7.5 percentage points to 25.8%. Carbondale Area’s English language arts score decreased by 12 percentage points to 24.4% and its math score decreased nearly 5 percentage points to 15.9%.
The analysis found Lakeland and Old Forge were the only districts whose average percent proficient or above score increased from 2024 to 2025. Lakeland’s score increased the most at nearly 3 percentage points, while Old Forge’s went up 2 percentage points.
Old Forge had increases in both subject areas tested, up 4.2 percentage points in math to 35.5% and less than 1 percentage point in English language arts to 41.8%.
Eighth grade students take a pre-algebra benchmark assessment test in a classroom in Old Forge High School in Old Forge Tuesday, January 13, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Eighth grade students take a pre-algebra benchmark assessment test in a classroom in Old Forge High School in Old Forge Tuesday, January 13, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
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Eighth grade students take a pre-algebra benchmark assessment test in a classroom in Old Forge High School in Old Forge Tuesday, January 13, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
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School leaders tout success, point to strategies
In interviews this week, the superintendents of the Old Forge and Lakeland school districts, which had the largest increases in their percent proficient and above scores on both tests, said they were pleased with the results and hope to continue their work improving them.
Old Forge Superintendent Christopher Gatto credited the district’s faculty and staff with analyzing the test data for five years, taking note of how students are doing and making changes in the classroom to make sure they are prepared. The district uses benchmark testing for teachers to see where students are academically throughout the year.
Old Forge also has a data team that looks at the numbers on the standardized tests and the benchmark testing to determine what worked and didn’t work and what can be changed in the curriculum to ensure students are prepared.
“We made a concerted effort about five years ago to really dissect those numbers, not just give the test and have a number on a paper,” he said.
Lakeland Superintendent Marc Wyandt said teachers working with students makes a difference when it comes to testing.
“We’re fortunate to have dedicated professionals who demonstrate extraordinary care and concern for our students,” he said.
Wyandt said officials continue to align curriculum and instruction to meet state standards, using most effective and up-to-date instructional strategies and being attentive to students who weren’t successful the first time they took the test.
Abington Heights Superintendent Christopher Shaffer said the district takes a holistic view on student achievement and growth and always looks to improve.
“We think about excellence as something that’s not static, it’s dynamic. We’re constantly moving that bar up,” he said. We’ll never be satisfied with our results and we’ll continue to prepare our kids to be excellent people and scholars in their post-secondary life.”