Local teachers fare poorly on state tests, results show
Local teachers had a poor showing on a state test meant to guide school districts with ongoing training. On Friday, the state Department of Education released the results of the latest round of tests in the Professional Development Assistance Program.
Local teachers taking the tests last fall were from Laurel Highlands and Uniontown Area in Fayette County; Central Greene, Jefferson-Morgan and Southeastern Greene in Greene County; and California Area in Washington County.
This was the second year for the controversial tests, which Albert Gallatin Area and Belle Vernon Area teachers took last year. State legislators tried to eliminate the testing program, but then-Gov. Mark Schweiker exercised his veto power, refusing to sign the related bill in November.
“Eliminating the program at this stage is shortsighted and does a disservice, not only to the teachers themselves, but also to the commonwealth’s children,” Schweiker said when he shot down the lawmakers’ attempt to do away with the tests, which are costing the state $1.5 million a year for five years.
In the first year, the Internet-based testing had technical difficulties. Albert Gallatin officials cited these problems as the reason the district’s test-takers missed the state norm more often than they met or exceeded it. The Pennsylvania State Education Association has opposed the tests as they are being given, questioning whether they accurately measure a teacher’s abilities.
Also, speculation has arisen that incoming Gov. Ed Rendell may cut the program after all.
The tests are administered by the Educational Testing Service in math and reading and are based on the academic standards on which the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) tests students.
According to summaries of the results, the mean scores for Laurel Highlands’ teachers fell below the state mean in both secondary math and reading and elementary and middle school reading. Their mean score rose above the state’s in one instance, by .785 of a point in elementary math, with 115 teachers taking the test and scoring 33.09 points. No middle school math result was listed. The elementary reading score was singled out as significant, with a mean score of 26.59 for 114 Laurel Highlands teachers, at 3.38 points below the state mean score of 29.96.
Uniontown teachers missed the state mark in all cases: elementary, middle and secondary math and reading. The summary indicated the elementary math score was significant. For 87 Uniontown teachers who took the test, the mean score was 29.10, or 3.20 points below the state mean of 32.30.
California Area and Jefferson-Morgan teachers’ mean scores also fell in all cases below the state mean, although nothing was pointed out on the summary as significant. Neither school district had results for middle and secondary math.
Results were listed for both subjects at the elementary, middle and secondary levels at Central Greene School District. The teachers there exceeded the state mean in elementary and middle school reading. For 67 teachers who took the elementary reading test, the mean score was 30.20, .234 above the state mean of 29.96. Forty-six teachers took the middle school reading tests, coming out with a mean score of 30.40, which was .081 of a point above the state mean score of 30.32.
Southeastern Greene teachers had results in all three reading levels but only at the elementary level for math, the only category for which they went above the state mean. Twenty-four teachers took the elementary math test for a mean score of 32.56, or .262 above the state mean of 32.30.
None of the Central Greene or Southeastern Greene scores was noted in the summaries as significant.
The scores and further details are listed on the state Department of Education’s Web site.
The reports break down the results by subject, school building, area of certification, years of experience and teaching assignment.
The reports are lengthy, with the longest local report at 146 pages for Uniontown and the shortest at 73 pages for Jeff-Morgan and Southeastern Greene.
The reports note that a “rule of 10” is used and some results may appear missing, although they are intentionally left out to maintain individuals’ confidentiality if fewer than 10 teachers took a test or fell in a category.
Besides the results for teachers by school districts, the Professional Development Assistance Program gives results according to the colleges and universities from which the test-takers graduated.
Among those included on the list, California University of Pennsylvania and Waynesburg College showed results that were below the state mean.
Results for graduates from 1999 to 2002 were listed for Waynesburg College in elementary math and elementary, middle and secondary school reading, while results were listed for Cal U in all categories. Nothing was singled out as significant in Waynesburg College’s summary.
However, all but the secondary math score for the Cal U graduates was noted as significant. Cal U’s recent graduates missed the state mean by the most points in middle school math. With 158 teachers taking the test, the mean score was 27.75, or 3.136 points below the state mean of 30.88.
According to information from the education department, the results for the school districts are meant to guide professional development and education opportunities, and the significant scores are singled out to indicate areas where help is most needed.
As for the colleges and universities, the education department information states the results of graduates are included in an effort to point out areas where the curriculum could be improved.
Teachers in 125 districts, vocational-technical schools and intermediate units participated in this second round of testing. The next round is set for August.
Brownsville, Connellsville and Frazier teachers in Fayette County have not yet taken these tests, nor have teachers at Bethlehem-Center School District in Washington County and Southmoreland School District in Westmoreland County.
On the Net: www.pde.state.pa.us.