State College Schools See Strong But Mixed Results In Annual Tests

State College public schools have again exceeded federal goals in standardized academic testing, though the high school needs improvement in at least two categories, according to new reports.

The annual reports, issued by the state Department of Education this month, indicate that 84 percent of local students tested met or exceeded reading-proficiency standards in the 2008-2009 exams. The goal for the year was 63 percent, according to the federal No Child Left Behind legislation.

Likewise, 82 percent of those tested in the State College area met or exceeded math-proficiency standards. The federal goal for the year was 56 percent. The Pennsylvania System of School Assessment oversees the yearly tests here.

State College students have long outperformed state and national averages on standardized exams. But the latest reports, briefly noted Monday night at the State College school board meeting, also reveal two problematic areas for State College Area High School.

State High last year failed to meet academic-performance targets set for special-education and economically disadvantaged students, according to the reports. Only 40 percent of eighth- and 11th-grade students from poorer homes reached math-proficiency standards; 47 percent of them met the standards for reading. The school-wide proficiency averages in those subject categories were 69 percent and 76 percent, respectively.

Of special-education students at State High, 19 percent reached proficiency expectations in math; 21 percent did so in the reading category.

Those weak points yielded State High a warning from the state Department of Education. A spokesman from the department could not be reached immediately late Monday, but statewide averages show that economically disadvantaged and special-education students routinely trail their peers in performance on standardized tests.

Such warnings from the state are not uncommon for public schools; still, State High was the only school in the State College Area School District to receive one this year.

Watch StateCollege.com for more complete reports on this issue.