Information for Parents/Guardians Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA)

All students in grades 3 – 8 are required to take the Pennsylvania System of School Assessments (PSSA). The assessments are scheduled to take place online between April 25th-May 4th. Your child’s attendance is especially important during this testing window. Our schedule for taking these assessments is listed below.

In preparation for the exams, please review these very important PDE policies to understand the state testing program fully:
Information for Parents/Guardians (FAQ)
Code of Conduct for Test Takers
Use of Cell Phone/Electronic Devices
Pennsylvania Calculator Policy

The PSSA results provide our district with one objective measure of its educational program. Along with information from district-based assessments, the PSSA may assist you in gaining a complete understanding of your child’s performance and growth toward acquiring academic skills.

Teachers will be administering sections of these tests each morning during the testing dates. We have been preparing the students for the tests with a high-quality curriculum, test-taking strategies, and exposure to the test format. Breakfast will be offered to all Third, Fourth, and Fifth Grade students on testing days at no cost to keep our students alert and comfortable during testing.

Testing Dates for Spring Ridge:
English Language Arts Assessment, April 25-27 (Grades 3-5)
Mathematics Assessment, May 1-2 (Grades 3 – 5)
Science Assessment, May 3-4 (Grade 4 only)

Assessment scores represent a snapshot of student performance and should not be considered the sole indicator of student achievement. Data obtained from each assessment serves as one of the tools for planning school programs, designing curriculum and instruction, and providing information to the public.

Chapter 4 of the school code provides language and procedures for parents/guardians to opt out of testing for religious reasons. This process includes signing a confidentiality agreement, reviewing the assessment booklets, and signing an affidavit to the superintendent indicating your religious objection. Please contact your building office to schedule this process. All students who do not participate in the assessment must attend school during the testing period and be provided with an alternative learning environment. Students who do not participate in the assessment will have a negative impact on the school’s participation rate. Additional information is available on the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) website.

There is no provision for exclusion other than religious reasons in Pennsylvania School Code. For parents and guardians that refuse to participate in this assessment process for other than religious reasons, we ask that you provide to the building principal in writing (an email is sufficient) the student’s name, grade level, your refusal, and reason for not allowing your child to participate in the assessment. All students who do not participate in the assessment must attend school during the testing period and will be provided with an alternative learning environment. Students who do not participate in the assessment will have a negative impact on the school’s participation rate. Additional information is available on the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) website.

Thank you again for your support. Should you have any further questions, please call Mrs. Hart at 610-670-1080 ext 1810.