Overview
The School Performance Profile score is based upon indicators that define a high performing school. Many data elements come together to create the academic score. These elements are categorized into five areas.
The first three areas represent 50 percent of the school academic performance score:
- Indicators of Academic Achievement - Includes PSSA/Keystone performance, industry standards-based competency assessments, grade three reading proficiency, and SAT/ACT college ready benchmarks.
- Indicators of Closing the Achievement Gap - All student scores are used to define how well a school is making progress toward proficiency of all students.
- Indicators of Closing the Achievement Gap - Historically Underperforming Students’ scores are used to define how well a school is making progress toward proficiency. The high needs students are students who have historically not demonstrated proficiency.
This category represents 40 percent of the school academic performance score:
- Indicators of Academic Growth/PVAAS - Measures the school’s impact on the academic progress of groups of students from year-to-year.
This category represents 10 percent of the school academic performance score:
- Other Academic Indicators - Assesses factors that contribute to student achievement (e.g., graduation rate, promotion rate, attendance rate).
Schools may earn up to 7 additional points via Extra Credit for Advanced Achievement based upon advanced performance on state and industry assessments, as well as for students earning a 3 or higher on an Advanced Placement exam or 4 or higher on an International Baccalaureate exam.
Achievement (PSSA/Keystone Scores)
- Measures a student's performance at one single point in time
- Highly correlated with a student's demographics
- Compares student performance to PA Core Standards
- Critical to a student's post-secondary opportunities
The Pennsylvania Value Added Assessment System (PVAAS) measures a student's growth. It is beneficial in providing reliable estimates of academic growth and projections of future achievement, as well as the effectiveness of the education program.
Growth (PVAAS Data)
- Measures a group of student's growth across time; i.e., across years
- Typically little to no relationship with students' demographics
- Compares performance of a student group to their own prior performance
- Critical to ensuring a student's future academic success
- By measuring students' academic achievement AND growth, schools and districts have a more comprehensive picture of their own effectiveness in raising student performance.
Pennsylvania Value Added Assessment System (PVAAS)
In early fall, all public school districts, charter schools, cyber charter schools and full time Career and Technology Centers across the Commonwealth receive web-based reporting through the Pennsylvania Value-Added Assessment System (PVAAS). PVAAS is a statistical analysis of Pennsylvania (PA) state assessment data, and provides Pennsylvania districts and schools with growth data to add to achievement data. This lens of measuring student learning provides educators with valuable information to ensure they are meeting the academic needs of groups of students, as well as individual students. PVAAS is one of the tools in the cadre of tools provided to districts from the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Districts and schools are using PVAAS (growth data), in conjunction with achievement data, to make sure students are on the path to proficiency and beyond. Utilizing all the data available (growth and achievement), educators are able to make data-informed instructional decisions to ensure the academic growth and achievement of all students.
Achievement Profiles
Niche School Rankings