The state Education Department recently released results of the state’s Keystone Exams for high school students and PSSA testing for elementary and middle-school students. PSSAs are administered in third through eighth grades for English Language Arts and Mathematics, as well as fifth and eighth grades 5 and 8 for Science & Technology. Keystones are end-of-course exams in Algebra I, Literature, and Biology.

Keystone Algebra proficiency rates increased from 41.6 percent to 44.3 percent over the past year statewide, according to the state Education Department. Both Keystone Literature and Biology assessments saw a 1.1 percent decrease, from 63.2 percent to 62.1 percent and 50.5 percent to 49.4 percent, respectively.

Proficiency rates in Warren County were 43.8 percent in Algebra 1, slightly less than the 44.3 percent statewide proficiency rate. Among the area’s five high schools for the 2024-25 testing year, proficiency rates were 29.4 percent for Tidioute Community Charter School, 54.4% for Eisenhower High School students, 51.9% for Sheffield High School students, 42.8 percent for Warren Area High School students and 33.3 percent for Youngsville HIgh School.

Proficiency on the Biology Keystone exams was 43.6% among all Warren County students, 5.8 percent lower than the statewide average. Area schools proficiency rates were: Tidioute Community Charter, 41.2 percent; Eisenhower, 38.6 percent; Sheffield, 53.6 percent; Warren Area High School, 51.8 percent; and Youngsville, 19.6 percent.

\On the literature Keystone exam, 61.5 percent of Warren County students were proficient, .7 percent less than the state average. Among county schools, Tidioute Community Charter School had the highest proficiency rate at 76.5 percent, followed by Eisenhower (70.2 percent), Sheffield (63.8 percent), Warren Area High School (60.7 percent) and Youngsville (54.9 percent).

English learner growth and attainment increased from 31.7 percent in 2023-24 to 32.4 percent in 2024-25, the largest improvement historically seen in Pennsylvania. Statistics on English language learners aren’t available for Warren County School District on the Keystone exams since there are too few ELL students for their results to be included in the state’s results.

Highlights include: four-year graduation rates increased from 87.6 percent in 2023-24 to 88.0 percent in 2024-25, the third consecutive year of increase; regular attendance increased to 79.6 percent, the second consecutive year of increase, despite regular attendance rates decreasing nationally since 2023; and the Career Standards Benchmark remained stable at 91.3 percent.

“Assessments give educators information they need to understand student progress and to direct support where it is needed most,” said Dr. Carrie Rowe, acting state education secretary. “This year, the data shows that Pennsylvania’s targeted investments in education have resulted in more students attending school regularly, graduating on time, and leaving school equipped with the skills to choose a good career and chart their own course in life. While we see progress, we are focused on raising these scores by working closely with Pennsylvania school districts to ensure teachers have access to the best possible training and professional development, increasing support for structured literacy in our classrooms, raising awareness of the effectiveness of the PA Firefly benchmarking tool, and examining whether or not Pennsylvania’s current state standards – some of which have not been updated in more than a decade – still align with the skills and knowledge students really need to succeed in the classroom and beyond.”