Pocono News Section

Passing the PSSA - Part 1

Passing the PSSA - Part 1 - Monday, March 9, 2009 at 8:10PM EST

NEPA -- Standardized exams. You might have taken them. And if you have school-aged children, you probably know about the PSSA. But is it the right measuring stick to determine if our children graduate and how successful they'll be?

Harry Mathias is the superintendent of the Central Columbia School District and was on the original task force that wrote the state standards for the PSSA.

"If we're going to help students attain their potential, we have to constantly assess where they are and where we need to take them," said Mathias. "So assessment's incredibly important, and the PSSA is a part of that."

"Accountability is by far the best part about the PSSA," said Nancy Tkatch, the superintendent of Northwest Area School District.

But both realize the standardized exam has its downhalls.

"We won't get the results back until the summer, so if you're a teacher, teaching that student, those results don't do you any good," said Mathias. "They give the next year teacher something they can work on."

"It would seem to me that there are more opportunities than just one standardized test that has so much hinging on its results," added Tkatch.

The state requires students to pass the 11th grade PSSA in reading and math, or their school district's local assessment, before they can graduate. But according to a recent study by Penn State's College of Education, in 2007, approximately 57,000 students received a diploma even though they did not pass the PSSA in 11th grade or the re-test given in 12th grade.

"What's the value of the diploma if they're not proficient in these academic standards," said Mathias.

So we found people with diplomas and college degrees who were willing to take the 11th grade sample exam for reading and math. Some were brave enough to go on-camera with their results.

"Y equals mx plus b, uh, hello," said Trey Phillips, President of Phillips' Supply House in Williamsport.

"It was definitely nerve-racking," added Carbondale Mayor Justin Taylor.

Their results, and several others', can be found in Part 2 of this story.