Marple Newtown Misses Mark on PSSA Grade

NEWTOWN SQUARE–Marple Newtown School District did not make Adequate Yearly Progress, also known as AYP, for the 2011-2012 school year in the PSSA testing, the Pennsylvania Department of Education recently released.

The Pennsylvania System of School Assessment, also known as PSSA, measures how well students achieve in reading, math, science and writing according to Pennsylvania's academic standards.

Marple Newtown was among eight Delaware County school districts who did not make AYP for the 2011-12 school year, while the remaining seven Delaware County school districts made the list for passing AYP.

Marple Newtown High School was the only school in the district that did not pass the AYP standards. The high school met 11 out of its 15 AYP targets, according to the Department of Education.

According to the Department of Education, the 2011-12 targets were 78 percent, proficient or advanced, in math and 81 percent, proficient or advanced, in reading. According to the federal No Child Left Behind Act, students must be 100 percent proficient in reading and math by 2014.

Marple Newtown High School missed the AYP targets in both math and reading with 68 percent of students, proficient or advanced, in math and 75 percent of students, proficient or advanced, in reading.

The 2011-12 school year is the first year that the Marple Newtown School District did not meet all AYP measures.

According to the Department of Education:

In the first year of not meeting AYP, a district is placed in "Warning" status. Warning means that the district fell short of the AYP targets but has another year to achieve them before any consequences are imposed. This district should review its improvement strategies and create a district improvement plan so that it can meet AYP next year.

If this district meets all AYP Measures next year, it will be considered on track to meet the goal of all students attaining proficiency in Reading and Mathematics by the year 2014. If this district does not meet AYP next year, it will be designated as needing improvement and will be placed into the "District Improvement I" category.

Superintendent Merle Horowitz is encouraging parents to attend the next Curriculum, Instruction and Technology meeting on Oct. 11 at 7:30 p.m., where Assistant Superintendent Constance Bompadre will go over the longitudinal data for each cohort over the years. 

Delaware County School Districts that made AYP:

• Rose Tree Media School District
• Garnet Valley School District
• Haverford Township School District
• Interboro School District
• Penn-Delco School District
• Radnor School District
• Wallingford-Swarthmore School District

Delaware County School Districts that failed to meet AYP:

• Chichester School District 
• Marple Newtown School District
• Ridley School District
• Southeast Delco School District
• Springfield School District
• William Penn School District
• Upper Darby School District
• Chester-Upland