Secondary Student Achievement Data
Abington uses a variety of educational assessments designed to help teachers, students, and parents track student progress. As students grow and develop academically, these tools help us monitor student learning and ensure all students are on the path to success. This website explains each educational assessment and the role it plays in evaluating and supporting student achievement, as well as, information on how you can access student results through Skyward and the LinkIt! Parent/Guardian Portal.
Curriculum-Based Unit Tests
Unit test scores for all subjects can be accessed in Skyward. These scores provide you with a snapshot of your child’s progress with unit assessments as they relate to the Pennsylvania Core Standards. Directions to access these scores in the Family Access section of Skyward can be found here: Skyward Family Access Directions-Unit Tests.
LinkIt! Benchmark Assessments
The Linklt! Benchmark Assessments are standards-aligned assessments administered at regular intervals (beginning, middle, and end of the year) that allow educators to monitor student progress towards mastery of end-of-grade-level content standards in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. Student test results and progress toward meeting these end-of-year expectations can be accessed in the LinkIt! Parent/Guardian Portal using the following instructions: Accessing LinkIt! Parent/Guardian Portal.
Interpreting Scores
Unlike unit tests that measure mastery of concepts and skills after students have received instruction, the LinkIt! Benchmarks provide immediate feedback and serve as an assessment FOR learning, not OF learning. As such, parents should not necessarily be alarmed by low scores. Benchmark results, combined with other information about your child’s academic performance, allow school professionals to pinpoint your child’s academic strengths and weaknesses so that individual needs can be targeted.
When reviewing the LinkIt Benchmark scores, the report will show an overall percent correct followed by the percent correct for each topic. The overall percent will fall within one of five possible achievement levels. Advanced, Proficient, Basic, or Below Basic are correlated to be predictive of students’ actual performance on the PSSA. A level called Bubble is unique to the benchmark assessments and indicates a score that is mathematically correlated with a Proficient level of achievement but is at the bottom 10% of that cohort. The bubble achievement level helps identify students who are proficient but who may be at risk of not maintaining a proficient score without proper support. The benchmark results are reported in five achievement levels:
Advanced | Reflects superior academic performance; work at this level demonstrates a thorough command of and ability to apply the knowledge, skills, and practices represented in the Pennsylvania standards. |
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Proficient | Reflects satisfactory academic performance; work at this level demonstrates an adequate command of and ability to apply the knowledge, skills, and practices represented in the Pennsylvania standards. |
Bubble | A student who scores in the Bubble range has a score that is mathematically correlated with a Proficient level of achievement, but is at the bottom 10% of that cohort. This additional achievement level helps ensure that students who may be at risk of not maintaining a Proficient score are supported appropriately. |
Basic | Reflects marginal academic performance, and work at this level demonstrates a partial command of and ability to apply the knowledge, skills, and practices represented in the Pennsylvania standards. |
Below Basic | Reflects inadequate academic performance; work at this level demonstrates a minimal command of and ability to apply the knowledge, skills, and practices represented in the Pennsylvania standards. |
STAR Reading Assessment
The STAR Reading Assessment is a computer-adaptive tool designed to track student progress in reading throughout the school year. It is administered at regular intervals (beginning, middle, and end of the year) and provides valuable insights into a student’s reading ability, including comprehension, vocabulary, and overall reading growth. The results of the assessment help teachers identify strengths and areas for improvement, enabling them to tailor instruction to meet the individual needs of each student.
Student results can be accessed in the LinkIt! Parent/Guardian Portal using the following instructions: Accessing LinkIt! Parent/Guardian Portal. It's important to note that STAR Reading scores are not final indicators of mastery but are part of a broader picture of a child’s academic development. These results, along with other classroom assessments, guide decisions on additional support and interventions if necessary.
Interpreting Scores
The STAR Reading scores are reported several ways:
Level | Indicates the student's overall achievement level, reflecting their progress in reading relative to grade-level expectations. |
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Unified Score | Represents the student's overall performance in reading, combining multiple areas of assessment. |
Grade Level Equivalency | Shows the student's reading ability as equivalent to a specific grade level, helping to gauge where they are in relation to their peers. |
Percentile | Shows how the student's performance compares to other students in the same grade, with a higher percentile indicating stronger performance. |
Lexile | Measures the student's reading ability. This score can be used to match the students with texts at the appropriate difficulty level, helping guide the selection of books and reading materials. |
Instructional Reading Level | Represents the level of text difficulty that is appropriate for the student to read with support, indicating where they can be most successful with guidance. |
PSSA Assessments
The Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) is a set of statewide standardized tests given to students in grades 3 through 8 to assess their knowledge and skills in English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, and Science. These assessments are designed to measure how well students are meeting the academic standards set for their grade level.
Student results can be accessed in the LinkIt! Parent/Guardian Portal (Accessing LinkIt! Parent/Guardian Portal.) or Skyward (Accessing Test Scores in Skyward).
Interpreting Scores:
The PSSA results are reported in four achievement levels:
Advanced | Indicates an in-depth understanding and exemplary display of the skills included in Pennsylvania’s Academic Standards. |
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Proficient | Indicates a solid understanding and adequate display of the skills included in Pennsylvania’s Academic Standards. |
Basic | Indicates a partial understanding and limited display of the skills included in the Pennsylvania’s Academic Standards. |
Below Basic | Indicates little understanding and minimal display of the skills included in the Pennsylvania Academic Content Standards. |
Keystone Assessments
The Keystone Exams are end-of-course standardized assessments given to students in Pennsylvania to measure their proficiency in key subjects, including Algebra I, Literature, and Biology. These exams are designed to assess how well students have mastered the content and skills taught in their high school courses.
Students can complete each Keystone Exam until they reach proficiency. A Keystone Best score is the student's highest score on the assessment. Student results can be accessed in the LinkIt! Parent/Guardian Portal (Accessing LinkIt! Parent/Guardian Portal.) or Skyward (Accessing Test Scores in Skyward).
Interpreting Scores:
The results are reported in four achievement levels:
Advanced | Indicates an in-depth understanding and exemplary display of the skills included in Pennsylvania’s Academic Standards. |
|---|---|
Proficient | Indicates a solid understanding and adequate display of the skills included in Pennsylvania’s Academic Standards. |
Basic | Indicates a partial understanding and limited display of the skills included in the Pennsylvania’s Academic Standards. |
Below Basic | Indicates little understanding and minimal display of the skills included in the Pennsylvania Academic Content Standards. |
PSAT, SAT and ACT Assessments
The PSAT, SAT, and ACT are standardized tests commonly used for college admissions in the United States.
The PSAT (Preliminary SAT) is a practice test for the SAT and helps students assess their readiness for college-level work. It provides a score report that highlights strengths and areas for improvement in reading, writing, and math. Abington administers the PSAT to all students in grades 10 and 11 free of charge.
The SAT is a college entrance exam that assesses a student's knowledge and skills in reading, writing, and mathematics, with scores used by colleges and universities for admissions and scholarship purposes. The SAT provides a score on a scale that ranges from 400 to 1600, with higher scores reflecting greater proficiency.
The ACT is another college admissions test that evaluates English, math, reading, and science reasoning skills, and some schools may also consider an optional writing section. The ACT provides a score on a scale that ranges from 1 to 36, with higher scores reflecting greater proficiency.
Student results can be accessed in Skyward (Accessing Test Scores in Skyward).