Pennsylvania

Understanding the Future Ready PA Index and How to Improve Indicators

Pennsylvania schools face growing pressure to demonstrate success across multiple dimensions, not just test scores. If you’re a district leader, curriculum director, or principal in Pennsylvania, you’ve likely spent time analyzing your school’s Future Ready PA Index results and wondering how to move the needle on those red indicators.

The good news: understanding what the Index measures and why is the first step toward meaningful improvement. Even better, there are proven strategies and tools that can help your school strengthen performance across every indicator, from PSSA proficiency to college readiness benchmarks.

What Is the Future Ready PA Index?

Created in 2018 as part of Pennsylvania’s ESSA Consolidated State Plan, the Future Ready PA Index replaced the previous School Performance Profile system. Rather than reducing school quality to a single number, the Index functions more like a dashboard. It provides transparency around multiple factors that contribute to student success.

You can explore the full dashboard and your school’s data at futurereadypa.org.

This shift was intentional. Pennsylvania recognized that one composite score could not capture the complexity of what makes a school effective. The Index acknowledges that preparing students for their futures requires attention to academic achievement, growth over time, student engagement, and readiness for life beyond K–12.

The Three Main Components of the Index

The Future Ready PA Index is organized into three major categories. Indicators marked in green below are used for federal accountability purposes under ESSA.

1. State Assessment Measures

These indicators focus on both proficiency and growth:

  • PSSA and Keystone Exam Proficiency – Schools must work toward specific proficiency targets, with the goal of reaching certain percentages of students scoring proficient or advanced on PSSA (grades 3–8) and Keystone Exams (high school) by 2033. This is a baseline measure of whether students are meeting grade-level standards in ELA, Math, Science, and other subjects.
  • PVAAS (Pennsylvania Value-Added Assessment System) – PVAAS measures academic growth over time using PSSA and Keystone data. Instead of asking “Are students proficient?” PVAAS asks “Are students improving year over year?” This growth metric recognizes that schools serving students who start below grade level can still demonstrate meaningful progress, even if proficiency rates remain a challenge.

2. “On Track” Measures

These indicators assess factors that keep students engaged and progressing:

  • Attendance and Chronic Absenteeism – Regular attendance is a strong predictor of student success. Schools are evaluated on their ability to keep chronic absenteeism rates low, ensuring students are present and engaged.
  • English Language Proficiency – For schools serving English learners, this measure tracks progress toward language proficiency, which is essential for academic success across all subjects.
  • Early Grade Indicators – These metrics focus on foundational skills in the earliest years of schooling, recognizing that early intervention sets the stage for long-term achievement.

3. College and Career Readiness (CCR) Measures

This category emphasizes preparation for life after high school:

  • Graduation Rate – The percentage of students who complete high school on time remains a core accountability measure.
  • Career Readiness Benchmarks – Schools are evaluated on how many students meet industry-recognized career readiness standards, whether through certifications, apprenticeships, or other pathways.
  • Rigorous Courses – Participation in Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), dual enrollment, and Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses signals that students are being challenged and prepared for postsecondary success.
  • Postsecondary Transition Rates – This measures the percentage of graduates who enroll in college, enter the military, secure employment, or pursue other productive pathways after graduation.

How the Index Reports Performance

Pennsylvania uses a color-coded system to communicate how schools are performing on each indicator:

  • BLUE: Meets or exceeds the all-student statewide 2033 goal
  • GREEN: Meets the statewide interim target or the individual school target
  • RED: Does not meet either the statewide interim target or the school target

What Happens When Schools Receive Red Indicators?

Red indicators trigger different levels of state support and intervention, depending on the severity and persistence of underperformance:

  • TSI (Targeted Support and Improvement) – Schools with one or more underperforming student groups receive targeted support to address specific gaps.
  • ATSI (Additional Targeted Support and Improvement) – Schools with student groups that are consistently underperforming or performing at the level of the lowest 5 percent of schools statewide receive additional support.
  • CSI (Comprehensive Support and Improvement) – Schools in the bottom 5 percent overall, or with graduation rates below 67 percent, or that remain in ATSI status without improvement, receive the most intensive level of state support and oversight.

Moving from TSI to ATSI to CSI happens when red indicators persist or worsen without improvement. The goal is to intervene early and provide the resources schools need before challenges become entrenched.

How Progress Learning Supports Improvement Across the Index

The Future Ready PA Index is comprehensive, which means improvement requires a comprehensive solution. Progress Learning is built to support Pennsylvania schools at every level of the Index.

Strengthening State Assessment Performance

Progress Learning offers fully aligned content to the Pennsylvania Core Standards in ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies for grades K–12. With over 200,000 assessment items, schools can:

  • Build custom assessments that mirror the format and rigor of PSSA and Keystone Exams
  • Assign targeted practice to reinforce specific standards where students are struggling
  • Use pre-built benchmark assessments to identify gaps early in the school year

Teachers save time, students get the practice they need, and administrators gain visibility into proficiency trends across classrooms and grade levels.

Driving Year-Over-Year Growth (PVAAS)

PVAAS rewards growth, and Progress Learning is designed to accelerate it. Our Liftoff adaptive intervention tool (grades 2–8) is particularly powerful for supporting students who are below grade level. Liftoff includes:

  • Built-in diagnostics to pinpoint each student’s starting point
  • Adaptive practice that adjusts in real time based on student performance
  • NWEA MAP integration, which transforms RIT scores into personalized, standards-aligned learning paths

For students at or above grade level, Progress Learning’s personalized study plans ensure continued growth by focusing practice on standards where students need the most support.

Supporting College and Career Readiness

The Future Ready PA Index places significant emphasis on preparing students for life beyond K–12. Progress Learning’s College and Career Readiness (CCR) offering includes:

  • ACT® and SAT® Benchmark Assessments: Adaptive tools that mirror the actual exams and provide composite scoring to help students understand their readiness
  • AP® Preparation: Aligned practice and assessments to help students succeed in rigorous coursework
  • District-Level Reporting: Unlike consumer-focused test prep tools, Progress Learning provides institution-grade analytics so administrators can track CCR progress across the entire district

Whether your goal is increasing AP® enrollment, improving SAT® scores, or helping more students transition successfully to postsecondary pathways, Progress Learning provides the resources to get there.

Proven Impact in Schools Like Yours

Progress Learning isn’t just aligned to the standards. It’s proven to work. Independent studies conducted by Johns Hopkins University have demonstrated significant positive impacts on student achievement:

These results have earned Progress Learning ESSA Tier 2 Moderate Evidence designation, meaning the platform meets federal standards for proven effectiveness.

Moving Forward with Confidence

The Future Ready PA Index challenges schools to think holistically about student success. It’s not enough to focus on test scores alone. Schools must also demonstrate growth, keep students engaged, and prepare them for meaningful futures.

That’s a tall order, but it’s also an opportunity. With the right tools and strategies, your school can make measurable progress across every indicator on the Index.

Progress Learning is designed to be that partner: comprehensive, rigorous, and proven to help schools raise achievement, close gaps, and support every student’s path to success.

Ready to see how Progress Learning can support your school’s Future Ready PA goals? Reach out to learn more about how we can support your goals with PSSA/Keystones aligned content, TEI’s for the new digital exams, intervention, and college and career readiness.

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