HARRISBURG, PA—Student achievement has risen across the board in Pennsylvania according to a 50-state study of test results by the Center on Education Policy (CEP), an independent nonprofit organization. Pennsylvania was identified as the only state to see increases in student achievement in elementary, middle and high school from 2002 to 2008.
The CEP report, which examined both reading and math performance, found Pennsylvania was the only state to reduce the percentage of students performing at the lowest levels while increasing the percentage of students who are on grade level. The percentage of students who are at the highest achievement level—Proficient & Above—also increased. “The most important point of this analysis is that Pennsylvania has made solid progress in test scores between 2002 and 2008,” emphasizes Jack Jennings, president of CEP. “Pennsylvania is also in the top tier of states in its performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress.”
After the August, 2009 report was released, Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell and actor/education advocate Bill Cosby joined school leaders from across the state to urge continued investment in education. “This report confirms that our investments in student achievement are paying off,” Governor Rendell said. “We need to continue to make these investments and build on this success, especially in tough economic times, rather than retreat.”
Many Pennsylvania schools invest in the First In Math® Online Program to boost mathematics achievement. More than 25% of third- through eighth-graders in Pennsylvania currently use the program as a supplemental mathematics resource with great results, according to program Vice President Barbara Asteak. “We’ve seen dramatic increases in math PSSA scores in many schools where the program has been implemented. (see Fitler success) It makes perfect sense that performance on standardized tests improve, since the First In Math Program provides many opportunities for students to practice and master basic facts—an area that can be the Achilles' heel for many children." The First In Math site contains three KNOW & SHOW units that focus on word problems similar to those encountered on the PSSA (Pennsylvania State System of Assessment), as well as dozens of modules that strengthen problem solving and higher-order thinking skills.
“We believe the First In Math program has played a significant role in the broad improvement we are now seeing throughout Pennsylvania,” says First In Math creator Robert Sun, who has focused on raising the achievement level of Pennsylvania students for nearly two decades. “For years, our 24 Challenge® math tournaments involved more than 300,000 students statewide. Since 2003, Pennsylvania students have been diligently practicing their math skills, solving nearly one billion math problems on the First In Math site.” During the 2008-2009 school year, 54 out of the Top 100 Schools in the prestigious First In Math National Rankings were Pennsylvania schools.
In 2005, only 303 (60.6%) of Pennsylvania’s 500 districts made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Even though the benchmarks for making AYP increased over the years, in 2009 that number increased to 468 (93.6%) districts making AYP. “We’ve tracked steady increases in math proficiency almost everywhere FIM has been implemented, but with a larger percentage of schools in Pennsylvania using the program—some since 2003—the data CEP has compiled speaks for itself.” says Sun.
A July 28 article published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that scores on the Pennsylvania state math tests were the best ever. When grades 5, 8 and 11 were tested In 2002, only 51.6% were at grade level (Proficient & Above) in math. In the spring of 2009, when grades 3 through 8 and 11 were tested, 73.4% were at grade level in math. State Education Secretary Gerald Zahorchak called the results “remarkable”, noting that “we invest money in education and things we know are going to reap results, and that's what we're seeing."
For more information on the CEP report, visit www.cep-dc.org.