2012 PSSA Scores Mean 'School Improvement' for EHS

Of the 10 public schools in the East Penn School District, only four made annual yearly progress (AYP) as indicated in the 2012 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) examinations given earlier this year.

The four that made the grade include Alburtis, Jefferson, Lincoln and Willow Lane elementary schools.

Seven Generations Charter School also met its annual yearly progress for the 2011-2012 school year.

Several of the schools achieved AYP in all but one of 11 categories that were considered for the overall score.

For example, Wescosville, Macungie and Shoemaker elementary schools and Eyer and Lower Macungie middle schools received warnings because of one weak score.

Emmaus High School was the only one of the 10, however, that was ranked "School Improvement I," a designation issued when a school fails to meet annual yearly progress targets for at least two consecutive years.

"School choice and supplemental education services are offered for schools in School Improvement," according to definitions issued by the state.

For the 2011-2012 school year Pennsylvania Department of Education targets were to have 78 percent of students proficient or advanced in math and 81 percent proficient or advanced in reading compared to 67 and 72 percent, respectively for the previous year.

The percentage of students who met academic standards by school include:

Some results that may seem below the state's cut off still represent successful results because special conditions including Safe Harbor and Confidence Interval exceptions have been applied. Some of these allow for schools to meet AYP because they have significantly -- by 10 percent or more -- increased the percentage of below-proficient students.