Student Academic Achievement and Growth Data: 2024-25
Colonial School District schools have achieved very competitive building scores as part of the Educator Effectiveness model and have demonstrated impressive gains on the Future Ready PA Index, the standard by which the state assesses school performance. Information below is based on standardized testing conducted during the 2024-25 school year.
The Future Ready PA Index and building level scores were released in November and take into account school performance on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA), the Pennsylvania Value Added Assessment System (PVAAS), attendance rates, and graduation rate to determine a school’s score. Here are some highlights:
- When looked at from the district level, Colonial School District’s proficient and advanced combined scores were higher on average than both the county and state in English/Language Arts (ELA) and math (see chart at right). Students were not tested in science in 2024-25.
- Colonial’s Economically Disadvantaged, Special Education, and diverse racial subgroups consistently met or exceeded the achievement levels of their respective peer groups throughout the county.
- Students’ PSSA scores increased in math over the previous year while the percentage of students scoring below basic in ELA decreased for two separate cohorts.
- Both Colonial Elementary and Middle Schools’ achievement held steady in math and ELA for 2024-25 while experiencing growth for subgroups in both subjects.
- Each K-3 building demonstrated improvement in at least one performance measure. Conshohocken Elementary School improved the percentage of proficient and advanced while reducing the percentage scoring below basic in both ELA and math. Whitemarsh Elementary made gains in math while decreasing the percentage of below basic students in both subjects.
- Plymouth Whitemarsh High School exceeded both growth and achievement averages for the state and county on all three Keystone exams – Biology, Literature, and Algebra.
The Future Ready PA Index is the latest tool used to assess public school performance and incorporates a number of different variables when determining a school building score. It was launched in 2018 and is meant to take a more holistic view of school and student performance when evaluating academic achievement and progress. Schools are evaluated based on their academic achievement in grades 3-8 on the PSSA in the subjects of math, English/Language Arts (ELA) and science. Science results were waived in 2024-25 due to the adoption of updated science standards.
Academic growth is also accounted for through the PVAAS scores, which measure how student cohorts perform year-to-year. At the high school level, Keystone Exam data is used to evaluate student achievement in the areas of algebra, literature, and biology. Data compiled through the index is also used in a calculation to determine school building level scores that are used as part of the Educator Effectiveness tool to evaluate teacher and principal performance.
Future Ready PA Index information is reviewed annually in the winter at Curriculum Committee meetings. All schools use the index data, along with other types of local assessments, to determine strengths, areas of focus, and strategies to ensure that student academic achievement and growth are on the rise. Each building presents a look at their building’s achievement and growth data, and provides a more in-depth look at the performance of student subgroups. Highlights of School Improvement Plans are also shared. While the state does not require Colonial to develop such plans, they are prepared every year so that the district can continue to target areas for improvement and cultivate student achievement and growth.