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Grade 3 Reading/Grade 7 Mathematics Early Indicators of Success

An important component of Pennsylvania’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Consolidated State Plan is the creation of the Future Ready PA Index, a comprehensive, public-facing school progress report that includes a wide range of meaningful, evidence-based indicators. The Future Ready PA Index moves beyond a single, summative score to increase transparency around school and student group performance.

Each indicator within the Future Ready PA Index was selected based on extensive feedback from stakeholders across the commonwealth, along with careful evaluation of the practices and systems that tie to continuous school improvement.

Indicators fall into three main categories:

  1. Statewide Assessment Measures
  2. On-Track Measures
  3. College and Career Ready Measures

This page provides additional detail and support on Grade 3 Reading/Grade 7 Mathematics Early Indicators of Success. This on-track measure reflects research on the relationship between student knowledge and skills in these grades and content areas and future academic success. It is important to note that this indicator does not require additional testing on the part of schools; rather, it is intended to validate, through appropriate public reporting, existing measures, already in place and in use, that can broaden conceptions of student achievement beyond statewide assessment systems.

This year, LEAs will have the option to report data from locally-identified assessment systems for Grade 3 Reading/Grade 7 Mathematics Early Indicators of Success. In identifying an assessment system for this measure, LEAs must take basic steps to evaluate the quality and sufficiency of evidence to support the use of the assessment and interpretation of its results. In addition, to ensure comparability and fairness, all students in the grades 3 and 7 cohorts across the LEA must participate in the same assessment. For more information on these standards and assurances, please review the Guidance for Evaluating Locally Selected Measures for Use in the Future Ready PA Index for Grade 3 Reading and Grade 7 Mathematics document.

Regardless of whether a locally selected assessment is reported for these indicators, all public schools must continue to administer PSSA assessments in English Language Arts and Math in grades 3-8, consistent with ESSA requirements. These PSSA scores and associated growth measures will also be reported via the Future Ready PA Index.

Frequently Asked Questions about Grade 3 Reading/Grade 7 Mathematics Early Indicators of Success and Associated Answers appear below.

How will PDE report Grade 3 Reading/Grade 7 Mathematics Early Indicators of Success on the Future Ready PA Index dashboard?

PDE will report Grade 3 Reading and Grade 7 Mathematics for all public schools and for any student group of 20 or more students in a building. Results will be reported as a percentage of students who attain proficiency on the assessment.

How will data be reported and monitored?

LEAs choosing to use a locally-selected assessment are responsible for reporting and uploading individual student data into PIMS to report on-track performance in Grade 3 Reading and/or Grade 7 Mathematics. Data for this requirement will come from the Student Local Assessment Subtest, Row 19 (LEA On/Off Track Indicator), and the Accountability snapshots from the Student and School Enrollment templates.

What steps should guide selection and implementation of local assessment measures?

Stakeholder engagement and consultation with technical advisors suggests that most locally-selected assessment systems currently in operation will meet standard specifications for measurement quality. To further assist LEAs, please review the information in the Guidance for Evaluating Locally Selected Measures for Use in the Future Ready PA Index for Grade 3 Reading and Grade 7 Mathematics document.

What measures will support accuracy in reporting this measure?

Locally-selected assessments must provide for accessibility features or accommodations that allow it to be used by a minimum of 95 percent of the students in each school. Superintendents/Chief School Administrators will verify the quality of the locally-selected assessment and the accuracy of data reported by signing the assurances included with the Accuracy Certification Statement provided during PIMS reporting.