Pottsville Area School District - Academic Achievement

Academic Achievement

The Pottsville Area School District was ranked 279th out of 498 Pennsylvania school districts, in 2012, by the Pittsburgh Business Times. The ranking was based on the last three years of student academic performance on the PSSA results in: reading, writing, mathematics and science. The PSSAs are given to all children in grades 3rd through 8th and the 11th grade in high school. Adapted examinations are given to children in the special education programs.

• 2011 - 318th
• 2010 - 356th
• 2009 - 397th
• 2008 - 366th
• 2007 - 344th of 501 school districts by the Pittsburgh Business Times.

Overachiever statewide ranking

In 2012, the Pittsburgh Business Times also reported an Overachievers Ranking for 498 Pennsylvania school districts. Pottsville Area School District ranked 79th. In 2011, the district was ranked 100th. The editor describes the ranking as: "a ranking answers the question - which school districts do better than expectations based upon economics? This rank takes the Honor Roll rank and adds the percentage of students in the district eligible for free and reduced lunch into the formula. A district finishing high on this rank is smashing expectations, and any district above the median point is exceeding expectations."

District Adequate Yearly Progress History (AYP)

In 2011, Pottsville Area School District declined to District Improvement I status under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The lowered status was due to low graduation rate and underachievement of reading on grade level in the elementary school. In 2010, the District declined to Warning status due to low graduation levels. Pottsville Area School District achieved Adequate Yearly Progress status in both 2009 and 2008. In 2011, 94 percent of the 500 Pennsylvania public school districts achieved the No Child Left Behind Act progress level of 72% of students reading on grade level and 67% of students demonstrating on grade level math. In 2011, 46.9 percent of Pennsylvania school districts achieved Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) based on student performance. An additional 37.8 percent of school districts made AYP based on a calculated method called safe harbor, 8.2 percent on the growth model and 0.8 percent on a two-year average performance.

In 2009, the academic achievement, of the students in the Pottsville Area School District was in the 27th percentile among all 500 Pennsylvania school districts Scale (0-99; 100 is state best)