Not all Allegheny County school districts are experiencing the decrease in test scores seen nationwide.
Data from the National Education Scorecard — a collaboration between education researchers at Harvard and Stanford universities and faculty at Dartmouth College — shows that nationally, students remain nearly half a grade level behind pre-pandemic reading scores, and only slightly better in math.
The report says the drops go beyond the covid-19 pandemic that started in 2020, citing data from third through eighth grade test scores for districts at the end of last school year.
Pennsylvania ranks 21st out of 38 states in academic growth in math and 27th out of 35 states in reading between 2022 and 2025.
Students in the West Allegheny School District performed at half a grade level higher in reading than they did in 2019. West Allegheny is one of 108 school districts nationwide — and of three in Western Pennsylvania, along with Fox Chapel Area and Norwin — identified for showing significant growth in both reading and math since 2022.
“It’s very validating of the systems we have in place,” said Jerri Lippert, West Allegheny’s superintendent. “We’re blessed to have highly effective teachers, working with programs we provide them and continuing to provide the right interventions to students who need them.”
Lippert attributes West Allegheny’s success to in-person instruction during the pandemic, schoolteachers and building leadership, and foundations in early literacy. The system of support includes core, supplemental and intervention lessons to students, Lippert said.
Since the pandemic, West Allegheny has implemented an aggressive, proactive approach to address chronic absenteeism, Lippert said.
Nationwide, 23% of students were chronically absent last year, down from the post-pandemic peak but still higher than the 15% before the pandemic, the Education Scorecard reports.
Schools also grapple with rapid advancements with artificial intelligence and technology.
Lippert said that, at the elementary level, technology is used as a supplement for additional practice, remediation or acceleration.
“Kids learn best from their peers and teachers. There’s a place for technology, but it does not replace the quality of having human interaction,” she said.
South Fayette Township School District’s test scores and learning rates are well above the national average.
“Things have not been easy,” Michelle Miller, South Fayette superintendent, said of the district’s efforts since the pandemic. “The reality is, our teachers were very resilient and found ways to fill in some of those gaps.”
Miller said the South Fayette community appreciates and values education, which she attributes to the district’s success. Improvements include a research-based, individualized approach to reading instruction and stronger career exploration programming.
“Post-covid, we knew we needed to be very intensely focused on the things that matter,” Miller said. “We look at this as one indicator … we’re on the right track.”
Linda Hippert, an associate professor of education at Point Park University, said there can be more than meets the eye when it comes to viewing test score results.
“I’m not saying to diminish that as a measure of achievement, but by looking at opportunities students are getting, you have to be able to read and do a certain level of math,” said Hippert, who served as South Fayette’s superintendent from 1996 to 2009 and executive director of the Allegheny Intermediate Unit.
“But can they leave their school district and be productive members of society? Do they have skills to earn a living, take care of a family and become educated beyond high school?”
Not just a score
Some Pennsylvania districts were rising relative to their peers in one subject. The Education Scorecard identified Pittsburgh as a leader in math performance and Montour as a leader in reading.
“That recognition reflects the hard work of our students, educators and school communities, while also reinforcing the importance of sustaining momentum and accelerating growth in literacy and overall student achievement,” said Ebony Pugh, spokeswoman for the Pittsburgh Public Schools.
PPS’ test scores were below the national average. Pugh said that, while PPS faces many of the same academic recovery challenges others are dealing with, Pittsburgh students are showing signs of progress.
Pugh said the findings underscore the importance of the proposed Future-Ready Facilities Plan. The plan, slated for a school board vote May 27, calls to close nine school buildings and realign many others. Proponents of the plan say it will improve equity, instruction and opportunities in the district. Opponents caution the plan lacks implementation details and say it would have a negative impact on underserved communities.
“As Pittsburgh Public Schools continues this work, we remain focused on building learning environments that support both academic recovery and long-term student success,” Pugh said.
David McDonald, superintendent at South Allegheny, cautioned that reports like the Education Scorecard don’t tell a school district’s full story. South Allegheny is below the national average test score.
“People don’t want to talk about the impact of a student’s economic situation, home life and changing schools, how that impacts results,” McDonald said.
More than 180 students – about 12% – started at South Allegheny after the first day of school, McDonald said. Additionally, 65% of South Allegheny students are considered economically disadvantaged. About 26% are special education students.
“All of these things are large factors into how kids learn at a young age,” he said.
Hippert, the Point Park professor, agrees. Results like the Education Scorecard don’t portray everything happening in a district — for example, the buy-in from the community or efforts administrators and teachers make to improve academics and school culture for students, she said.
“High academics and high achievement tends to be in higher socioeconomic areas, and lower achievement tends to be in lower socioeconomic areas,” she said. “Poverty makes a difference, and it’s not always just what’s happening in schools. Oftentimes, the schools get blamed, and that’s how we look at achievement. But it’s really about environment and the lack of opportunity children and adolescents have in those communities.”
South Allegheny has spent the past couple of years revamping how it teaches literacy, providing more consistency in lessons across classrooms, McDonald said. District administrators offer high-occupancy workforce development pathways for students, including classes in cybersecurity and aviation, and have added a workforce development coordinator position.
“If they can’t see it, they can’t be it,” McDonald said. “We’re exposing them to things and buying into the academic side of these things. … We have kids who are super successful working 12 to 14 hours a day, using their talents in a different way.”
Miller, South Fayette’s superintendent, said her district’s goal is to be future-focused, student-centered and innovative. High school enrollment to the district’s career and technology center, Parkway West, has consistently increased over the past several years, and a majority of students participate in clubs, athletics or other extracurriculars.
“Learning doesn’t just occur in a classroom, and a score doesn’t just indicate what a student is able to do or is a trajectory for success,” she said. “We really make sure students are seen and valued in a variety of ways.”
McDonald said that, with the emphasis on career readiness, students are more prepared for their futures, be it college, a trade school or entering the workforce. Some obtain certifications for future careers. West Allegheny offers similar programming through its Early College in High School initiative, and Lippert said the district’s goal is for every student to have a viable, post-secondary pathway post-graduation.
“It’s not a one-size-fits-all thing in education,” McDonald said. “Our kids are more successful than they’ve ever been.”