Lehighton Area School District officials unveiled 2023 spring Keystone Exam and Pennsylvania System of School Assessment on Monday night, with results showing significant improvements in student performance across multiple grade levels and subjects.

The report presented by Mary Figura, assistant to the superintendent, highlighted the achievements of district students, showcasing progress when compared to state averages.

Notably, Lehighton outperformed the 2022 state average as a complete group on the Literature Keystone Exam; third, fourth and fifth grade math PSSA exams; and fourth and eighth grade science PSSA exams.

State averages were 54.1% of students scored proficient or advanced on English Language Arts/literature exams, 35.7% on math/algebra exams, and 54.4% on science/biology.

Keystone data

The Keystone results for literature demonstrated exceptional growth, Figura said, with students achieving an 85.2% proficiency or advanced rating compared to 60% in 2022. In algebra, the district saw 35.3% of students achieve proficient or advanced levels, nearly reaching the 37.7% reached in 2022. In biology, 51.6% of students scored at proficient or advanced levels, almost identical to the 51.7% posted in 2022.

PSSA data

Third, fourth and fifth grade Lehighton students exceeded the state average (35.7%) in math, with 40.5%, 39% and 41.9% reaching proficient or advanced levels, respectively. Each of the three grades also improved on 2022 district scores when 36.9% of third graders, 34.8% of fourth graders and 32.4% of fifth graders scored proficient or advanced.

In science, 74.8% of fourth grade students and 61.1% of eighth grade students scored proficient or advanced, also exceeding state averages.

Data-driven approach

The district, Figura told board members, is conducting deep dives into missed exam questions, itemizing standards, and identifying gaps in the curriculum to enhance the learning experience.

“Our sixth grade scored in English Language Arts just missed the state average, but our students who scored basic almost matched the percentage of students in our proficient column,” Figura said. “Some of these are students who need just one or two more questions right to be moved up to proficient so we’re looking at what standards maybe we are not hitting or we have not scored well in across the board. We’ll work that into our curriculum to try and move those handful of students up and exceed that state average.”

Improvement initiatives

Figura said Lehighton remains committed to ongoing improvement when it comes to student growth. The district has introduced several new initiatives for the 2023-24 school year, including a K-3 Phonics Program, and a “Read Theory” program, all aimed at enhancing literacy and comprehension skills.

“Students need to be reading on grade level by third grade or they start to struggle, so getting a good phonics base is really important,” Figura said.

In math, Lehighton has introduced the iReady program for students in grades K-5 and middle school tier II and III interventions, with a new “Fundamentals of Algebra” class in high school to provide additional algebra exposure.

“We are using iReady as a core program at the elementary center and one of the benefits is it also has the diagnostic testing which we did not have previously,” Figura said. “The program identifies what students are struggling with and puts them in small groups with a personalized plan. I feel like this is going to make a big difference in our math scores due to the individualized nature of the program.”

For science, the district is piloting a sixth grade program to “ensure a well-rounded STEM education for students.”