PSSA Math Practice

About the PSSA

The Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) is the state math test for grades 3 through 8 and is administered each spring by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) through its contractor Data Recognition Corporation (DRC). The math test is aligned to the Pennsylvania Core Standards, the state's adaptation of Common Core, and is offered in both paper and computer-based forms; districts choose which mode to administer for each grade, which makes PSSA a hybrid administration overall. The statewide window has historically run from mid-April to early May, with make-up days extending the window slightly.

The PSSA math test is split into two or three sessions per grade, with a non-calculator section and (from grade 4 up) a calculator-permitted section. Items include multiple-choice questions plus open-ended constructed-response items scored on a 4-point rubric. Pennsylvania reports four performance levels (Below Basic, Basic, Proficient, Advanced) along with a scale score and reporting-category subscores aligned to the PA Core domains: Numbers and Operations, Algebraic Concepts, Geometry, and Measurement, Data, and Probability. Score reports are sent home in late summer or early fall.

Pennsylvania uses PSSA results in the Future Ready PA Index, the state's school report card, and for federal ESSA accountability, but PSSA is not a graduation requirement and the state has no retention rule tied to grade 3-8 results. Grade 8 students who are accelerated into Algebra I and pass the Algebra I Keystone Exam are exempted from grade 8 PSSA Math, which is a common path in Pennsylvania middle schools. Parents may refuse the PSSA on religious grounds by reviewing the test confidentially and submitting a written objection to the superintendent.

Official source: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/education/programs-and-services/instruction/assessment-and-accountability/pssa.html