BEA teachers slated for PSSA training

About five teachers from the Bald Eagle Area School District are undergoing training during the next few months to keep up to date on PSSA testing.

District director of curriculum and instruction Tracy Boone said at a board meeting Thursday night the state made changes to this year’s test that will be administered in April.

Teachers will do training during weekly after-school meetings that includes text dependent analysis — a part of the test that makes up 19 percent of a student’s total test score, Boone said.

The Pennsylvania System of School Assessments measure third- through eighth-grade students. It’s testing that helps the state determine if students are learning what they should be, and tests students’ math and English/language arts skills. Students in fourth and eighth grades are also assessed in science.

In a school board meeting last month, members unanimously decided to forgo a 2016-17 proposed preliminary budget, and agreed not to raise taxes above the state-given index rate.

For Bald Eagle Area, that means the district cannot raise taxes more than 3.3 percent, said business manager Craig Livergood.

If the final budget calls for a 3.3 percent tax increase, the millage rate would increase by 1.74537, Livergood said.

The current budget is $29,806,747.

This story was originally published January 14, 2016 at 8:32 PM with the headline "BEA teachers slated for PSSA training."