Overview

The Pennsylvania State Board of Education requires school districts in Pennsylvania to report summary data about student achievement, attendance, and dropout rates and about teacher qualifications.  The data reported are in conjunction with other information reported statewide for all 501 school districts in Pennsylvania.      

The Pennsylvania Accountability System applies to all public schools and districts.  It is based upon the State’s content and achievement standards, valid and reliable measures of academic achievement, and other key indicators of school and district performance such as attendance and graduation rates.  The Pennsylvania Accountability System meets the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind legislation and has the same end goal of having every child in the Commonwealth proficient or above in reading and mathematics by the year 2014.

The Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) is the main assessment tool of the Pennsylvania Accountability System.  Currently, students in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 11 take PSSA tests in reading and mathematics.  Assessment results are reported annually by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) and to the general public via district and school building report cards.  More information is available on PDE’s web site at www.pde.state.pa.us.

The No Child Left Behind legislation is the federal law enacted in January of 2002 to ensure that all children receive a quality education.  Included in the law are the following parents’ rights: 1) to review curriculum and instructional materials utilized by their children; 2) to review surveys and/or request that their children not participate in surveys conducted by outside organizations; 3) to request that their child’s name not be released to military recruiters without prior parent consent; and 4) to request information about the professional qualifications of their child’s teacher.  If parents wish to exercise these rights, they should send their request in writing to the building principal.