Warren County fourth and eighth graders struggled as a whole on PSSA science exams in 2024 compared with the prior year.

Science increased from 58.9% in 22-23 to 59.2% in 2023-24. Proficiency rates decreased from 76% of the district’s fourth-graders in 2023 to 70.3% in 2024 while proficiency rates for eighth graders decreased 12% from 59.9% in 2023 to 47.9% in 2024. Proficiency rates trended higher in fourth grade than for eighth grade in Warren County schools, though not all schools saw a decrease in proficiency rates at all schools.

Eisenhower fourth-graders saw proficiency increase year over year from 83.9% in 2023 to 86.5% in 2024 while the school’s eighth-graders increased proficiency from 60.3% in 2023 to 66.7% in 2024. Youngsville fourth graders increased proficiency from 75.4% in 2023 to 81% in 2024, though the school’s eighth graders saw proficiency decrease from 65.3% in 2023 to 50% in 2024.

Warren Area Elementary School’s fourth graders saw proficiency rates decrease from 74.6% in 2023 to 62.8% in 2024, with Beaty-Warren Middle School eighth graders’ proficiency rate decreasing 15.3% from 58.7% in 2023 to 43.4% in 2024. Sheffield students saw proficiency rates decline from 70.5% in 2023 to 54.5% in 2024 among its fourth graders and from 58.8% to 41.4% among eighth graders.

Tidioute Community Charter School students saw proficiency grow in both grade levels. Fourth graders’ proficiency rates increased from 61.9% in 2023 to 81.8% in 2024 while eighth-graders’ proficiency increased from 52.4% to 64.3% in 2024.

One trend that held true among all county schools was a decrease in proficiency rates depending on a student’s economic status, particularly among eighth graders. Tidioute Community Charter School’s drop-off wasn’t as great as other schools in the district, with proficiency decreasing from 81.8% for fourth graders to 77.8% for fourth graders who are considered economically disadvantaged while the decrease was 81.8% for eighth graders to 61.5%.

Beaty-Warren’s eighth grade class saw proficiency decrease from 43.4% to 30.9% among students considered economically disadvantaged while WAEC fourth graders saw proficiency decrease from 62.8% of all students to 52.7% of economically disadvantaged students.

In Eisenhower, proficiency rates decreased from 86% of the fourth grade class to 80% of economically disadvantaged students and 66.7% of the entire eighth-grade class to 57.9% of economically disadvantaged eighth-graders.

Sheffield saw proficiency rates decrease from 63% of all students in fourth grade to 57.9% of economically disadvantaged students, though the district was an outlier with 41.4% of all eighth graders deemed proficient while a higher percentage of economically disadvantaged students (46.2%) were proficient.

Youngsville saw its proficiency rate decrease from 81% of all fourth graders to 73.1% of economically disadvantaged fourth graders and 50% of all eighth graders to 48.1% of economically disadvantaged eighth graders.