Nearly seven out of 10 Wayne County high school students did not pass a new state science assessment.
The Wayne Independent reviewed recently released state Department of Education figures for the assessment, which tested the science skills of 11th, 8th, and 4th graders in the 2007 - 2008 school year.
The review included the following school districts: Forest City Regional, Wallenpaupack, Wayne Highlands, and Western Wayne.
The science assessment is a new addition to the state’s portfolio of standardized tests, known as the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment, or PSSA.
This is the first year scores have been released for the science assessment.
Students pass the assessments by earning a proficient score or better - essentially saying a student has an understanding of the subject matter.
11th grade county students, averaging the four school districts together, slightly underperformed compared to the state.
29.8 % of county high school students passed the assessment; the state average was 35.7%.
8th and 4th grade county students, however, had much higher scores than their high school peers.
And they also beat the state score.
But, Western Wayne Superintendent Andrew Falonk said the proficiency scores - and the state assessment tests in general - should not be used as completely true indicators of academic performance for individual students and the school districts.
Currently, the state assessments do not have any bearing on the students grades nor is passing the tests required for gradation.
This can skew scores since some students may not take the assessments seriously, or may just generally underperform, he said.
“You’re giving the test to millions of students without holding a hammer over their head,” said Falonk. “Do I actually believe that 80 percent of the students are incompetent in basic science? I don’t believe it. If there was no negative impact to stop at a stop sign, would you stop? No.”
Falonk contends that high school students are generally more concerned with the college SAT test, a standardized test that has a direct bearing on college admissions.
If the PSSA had a similar impact, such as a requirement that passing it would mean graduating high school, the scores would then accurately reflect students academic knowledge and district performance, he said.
The 11th grade science assessment does, indeed, ask tricky questions such as “when silver nitrate solution is added to salt water, a reaction occurs and a milky white precipitate forms. Which statement correctly describes how the rate of this reaction can be influenced?”
Or it can switch gears and ask questions relating to physical geography and meteorology: “Death Valley, one of the driest places on Earth, is located on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Which statement correctly explains why the east side of these mountains is so much drier than the west side?”
Contrary to the high school scores, 4th grade students at Wallenpaupack, Wayne Highlands, and Western Wayne school districts earned above 90 % proficiency - meaning that 9 out of 10 students scored at or above proficiency.
This is well-above the state average of 81.5 %.
Wayne Highlands Superintendent Tom Jenkins said some district high school students may not have had a physical science class since 8th grade, which can create academic performance issues on the test.
The Wayne Highlands science curriculum, as it is currently designed, is flexible, allowing students to choose particular subjects based on interest and aptitude
He said the district may have to modify its science curriculum in light of this new assessment, and to improve scores.
Michael Race, a spokesperson for the state Department of Education, said the state is working toward a graduation requirement for the PSSA’s where students will have to pass the exam to graduate.
The education department is also discussing an option where school districts can develop their own graduation assessments, but it must be submitted to the state for approval.
The department, he added, is not convinced that students underperform on the assessment because it lacks teeth.
“Why would they do deliberately poorly ... to randomly fill in bubbles just for the fun of it? It’s a somewhat dismissive attitude ... toward teenagers to say they just don’t care. They do care,” he said.
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Nearly seven out of 10 Wayne County high school students did not pass a new state science assessment.
The Wayne Independent reviewed recently released state Department of Education figures for the assessment, which tested the science skills of 11th, 8th, and 4th graders in the 2007 - 2008 school year.
The review included the following school districts: Forest City Regional, Wallenpaupack, Wayne Highlands, and Western Wayne.
The science assessment is a new addition to the state’s portfolio of standardized tests, known as the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment, or PSSA.
This is the first year scores have been released for the science assessment.
Students pass the assessments by earning a proficient score or better - essentially saying a student has an understanding of the subject matter.
11th grade county students, averaging the four school districts together, slightly underperformed compared to the state.
29.8 % of county high school students passed the assessment; the state average was 35.7%.
8th and 4th grade county students, however, had much higher scores than their high school peers.
And they also beat the state score.
But, Western Wayne Superintendent Andrew Falonk said the proficiency scores - and the state assessment tests in general - should not be used as completely true indicators of academic performance for individual students and the school districts.
Currently, the state assessments do not have any bearing on the students grades nor is passing the tests required for gradation.
This can skew scores since some students may not take the assessments seriously, or may just generally underperform, he said.
“You’re giving the test to millions of students without holding a hammer over their head,” said Falonk. “Do I actually believe that 80 percent of the students are incompetent in basic science? I don’t believe it. If there was no negative impact to stop at a stop sign, would you stop? No.”
Falonk contends that high school students are generally more concerned with the college SAT test, a standardized test that has a direct bearing on college admissions.
If the PSSA had a similar impact, such as a requirement that passing it would mean graduating high school, the scores would then accurately reflect students academic knowledge and district performance, he said.
The 11th grade science assessment does, indeed, ask tricky questions such as “when silver nitrate solution is added to salt water, a reaction occurs and a milky white precipitate forms. Which statement correctly describes how the rate of this reaction can be influenced?”
Or it can switch gears and ask questions relating to physical geography and meteorology: “Death Valley, one of the driest places on Earth, is located on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Which statement correctly explains why the east side of these mountains is so much drier than the west side?”
Contrary to the high school scores, 4th grade students at Wallenpaupack, Wayne Highlands, and Western Wayne school districts earned above 90 % proficiency - meaning that 9 out of 10 students scored at or above proficiency.
This is well-above the state average of 81.5 %.
Wayne Highlands Superintendent Tom Jenkins said some district high school students may not have had a physical science class since 8th grade, which can create academic performance issues on the test.
The Wayne Highlands science curriculum, as it is currently designed, is flexible, allowing students to choose particular subjects based on interest and aptitude
He said the district may have to modify its science curriculum in light of this new assessment, and to improve scores.
Michael Race, a spokesperson for the state Department of Education, said the state is working toward a graduation requirement for the PSSA’s where students will have to pass the exam to graduate.
The education department is also discussing an option where school districts can develop their own graduation assessments, but it must be submitted to the state for approval.
The department, he added, is not convinced that students underperform on the assessment because it lacks teeth.
“Why would they do deliberately poorly ... to randomly fill in bubbles just for the fun of it? It’s a somewhat dismissive attitude ... toward teenagers to say they just don’t care. They do care,” he said.
Wayne County PSSA Science Scores
-prepared by the Wayne Independent.
-percentage indicates students who attained at least proficiency, or understanding, in the tested subject.
-school year: 2007-2008.
Forest City Regional SD
4th grade - 79.2 %
8th grade - 59.7 %
11th grade - 31.1 %
District Avg. - 55.7 %
Wallenpaupack SD
4th grade - 92.9 %
8th grade - 60 %
11th grade - 30 %
District Avg. - 60.2 %
Wayne Highlands SD
4th grade - 90.8 %
8th grade - 61.6 %
11th grade - 35.2 %
District Avg. - 60.3%
Western Wayne SD
4th grade - 92.2 %
8th grade - 56.1 %
11th grade - 22.7 %
District Avg. - 58.3 %
State-wide SDs
4th grade - 81.5 %
8th grade - 52.7 %
11th grade - 35.7 %
State Avg. - 56.6%
11th Grade PSSA Science Assessment Sample Questions
-courtesy of the state Department of Education
-correct answer marked with an asterisk
1.) If an organism is known to have
38 chromosomes in each body cell,
how many chromosomes will each
new gamete have after meiosis?
A - 2 chromosomes
B - 19 chromosomes (*)
C - 38 chromosomes
D - 76 chromosomes
2.) Which system uses a nonrenewable
resource to generate electricity?
A - wind turbines using air
movement
B - solar panels using the Sun’s
radiation
C - geothermal power plants using
steam
D - nuclear power plants using
radioactive elements (*)
3.) A student designs a circuit that has
a battery, a resistor, and a light bulb
connected in series. Which two changes
could be made to the circuit so that each
would contribute to a brighter glow from
the light bulb?
A - decrease the voltage and decrease the
resistance
B - decrease the voltage and increase the
resistance
C - increase the voltage and decrease the
resistance (*)
D - increase the voltage and increase the
resistance
