22 Pa. Code § 4.51a - Pennsylvania System of School Assessment
(a) All PSSA assessments administered in
English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science, Environment, Ecology,
Technology and Engineering will be standards-based and criterion referenced and
include essay or open-ended response items in addition to other item formats.
The proportion of type of items will vary by grade level. The criteria for
judging performance on PSSA assessments are as follows:
(1) Performance on PSSA English Language Arts
assessments shall be demonstrated by students' responses to comprehension
questions about age-appropriate reading passages, by their written responses to
in-depth comprehension questions about the passages and by the quality of their
written compositions on a variety of topics and modes of writing.
(2) Performance on PSSA mathematics
assessments shall be demonstrated by students' responses to questions about
grade-appropriate content and by the quality of their responses to questions
that require a written solution to a problem.
(3) Performance on PSSA science assessments
shall be demonstrated by students' responses to grade appropriate content and
by the quality of their responses to questions that demonstrate knowledge of
each category of the standards for science, environment, ecology, technology
and engineering.
(4) Performance
levels shall be advanced, proficient, basic and below basic. In consultation
with educators, students, parents and citizens, the Department will develop and
recommend to the Board for its approval specific criteria for advanced,
proficient, basic and below basic levels of performance.
(b) The Department will develop or cause to
be developed PSSA assessments based on Pennsylvania Core Standards in
Mathematics and English Language Arts under §
4.12 (relating to academic
standards) and contained in Appendix A-2. Through June 30, 2025, the Department
will develop or cause to be developed PSSA assessments based on academic
standards in Science, Technology, Environment and Ecology under §
4.12 and contained in Appendix B.
Beginning July 1, 2025, the Department will develop or cause to be developed
PSSA assessments based on academic standards in Science, Environment, Ecology,
Technology and Engineering under §
4.12 and contained in Appendix
B-1. In developing PSSA assessments, the Department will consult with
educators, students, parents and citizens regarding the specific methods of
assessment.
(c) The PSSA
assessments shall be administered annually and include assessments of the State
academic standards in Mathematics and English Language Arts at grades 3 through
8, and in Science, Environment, Ecology, Technology and Engineering at grades 4
and 8.
Notes
The provisions of this § 4.51a issued under sections 121, 2603-B and 2604-B of the Public School Code of 1949 (24 P.S. §§ 1-121, 26-2603-B and 26-2604-B); amended under sections 2603-B and 2604-B of the Public School Code of 1949 (24 P.S. §§ 26-2603-B and 26-2604B).
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