Measuring Student Academic Progress
As a public cyber charter school, each year we conduct internal, knowledge-based, student testing to gauge progress as well as assessments in accordance with the State of Pennsylvania Department of Education
Baseline Assessments
STAR360
Grades: All grade levels; when enrolled at PA Distance
Subjects: Math & Reading
Frequency: Once per year
Location: Online, from the comfort of your own home
The STAR360 is considered a universal screener. These are given at the beginning of the year to determine the present level of academic achievement for each student. Our interventionists analyze the student data to support teachers and students during the first few weeks of school. After the benchmark assessment (Acadience or CDT) is given in September, the teams collaborate to triangulate student data to determine the appropriate levels of support needed to help each student reach their full potential.
Benchmark Assessments
Acadience
Grades: K-2
Subjects: Reading & Math
Frequency: Three times a school year
Location: Online, the comfort of your own home
Acadience Math and Reading helps our educators gauge our students’ retained skills from semester to semester based on what they learned in their classes. If students are struggling in some areas our teachers know exactly where to step in to support their understanding.
Classroom Diagnostic Tools (CDT)
Grades: 3-12
Subjects: Literacy, Science and Mathematics
Frequency: Three times a school year
Location: Online, in the comfort of your own home
CDT is designed to provide information that will help guide instruction by providing support to students and teachers. CDT goes beyond what students should know and be able to do at a particular grade/course but will produce a snapshot of how and why students may still be struggling. By testing each student in multiple subject areas throughout the year, teachers will be provided with an assessment of the total student learning at a given point in or over time.
Standardized Assessments
PSSA Testing
Grades: 3-8
Subjects: English Language Arts, Math; Science (only 4th & 8th grades)
Frequency: Once a school year; Spring
Location: We do our best to keep test locations within 50 miles of each family enrolled in order to minimize the travel time required by our families for these tests.
Per the Department of Education, the annual Pennsylvania System School Assessment (PSSA) is a standards-based, criterion-referenced assessment that provides students, parents, educators, and citizens with an understanding of student and school performance related to the attainment of proficiency of the academic standards. These standards in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science and Technology identify what a student should know and be able to do at varying grade levels.
Keystone Exams
Grades: 9-12 (or younger for academically advanced students)
Subjects: Algebra I, English Composition and Biology
Frequency: Up to twice a year; Winter & Spring
Location: We do our best to keep test locations within 50 miles of each family enrolled in order to minimize the travel time required by our families for these tests.
The Keystone Exams, outlined by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, are end-of-course assessments designed to assess proficiency in a variety of high school subject areas. The Keystone Exams are one component of Pennsylvania’s statewide high school graduation requirements. Keystone Exams are the statewide assessment that Pennsylvania uses to comply with accountability requirements in the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).