All schools except four in the Butler County area have passing scores in the state's new school assessment system.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education on Wednesday released the remaining scores from its assessment system that had been withheld because of concerns about accuracy.

The state has set a score of 70 out of 100 as passing.

Scores that are newly available in the county are from Seneca Valley high, intermediate and middle schools; Slippery Rock high and middle schools; Freeport junior and senior high schools; Knoch High School, and Mars High School.

More than 620 schools statewide had their School Performance Profile scores released Wednesday. The Pennsylvania School Performance Profile website released initial scores in October, and they replace the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) model.

Mars High School is the highest scoring high school in the county, scoring 92.9.

“We've worked hard over the past couple of years ... to align to the core standards,” said Matt Friedman, assistant superintendent at the Mars School District. “We've really focused on our assessments, and the depth and rigor in all our classrooms.”

He said that includes not only focusing on standardized tests, but yearly growth of individual students.

South Butler Assistant Superintendent Mike Leitera said while the new reports are an improvement over AYP, the new scoring system still isn't perfect.

“I think there are some things that are still monetarily driven, that puts some schools at a disadvantage,” he said.

For instance, “You can make a direct correlation to the SAT, if your school pays for the SAT.”

In other words, students who have their tests paid for are more likely to take the test, or take the test multiple times, bringing the overall assessment score up.

Leitera said after the state school scores were suppressed and checked for accuracy, he believes they now are accurate and mistakes have been fixed.

Knoch High's score is 86.8

Instead of creating scores based on standardized test scores alone, the new system incorporates other factors such as attendance and graduation rates, and the availability of Advanced Placement courses.

Nearly 73 percent of all state public schools received a score of 70 or higher out of 100.

“The majority of public schools across the commonwealth are doing well and preparing their students to be successful adults,” said Carolyn Dumaresq, Department of Education acting secretary, in a statement.

However, charter schools didn't fare nearly as well.

Of the 166 charter schools that were eligible for a score, only one third received a score of 70 or higher, according to the state.

The four local schools that did not hit the 70 mark are Broad Street Elementary in the Butler School District; Chicora Elementary in the Karns City School District, and Rimersburg Elementary and Union High schools in the Union School District.

Detailed scores can be reviewed at www.paschoolperformance.org.

Here are scores of Butler County area schools in the new state school assessment system. A score of 70 is considered passing by the state.<B>ALLEGHENY-CLARION VALLEY</B>High school — 73.5Allegheny-Clarion Valley Elementary — 71.3<B>BUTLER</B>High school — 84Intermediate high school — 85.2Junior high school — 75.8Broad Street Elementary — 66.4Center Avenue Elementary — 72.2Center Township Elementary — 93.3Clearfield Elementary — 77.3Connoquenessing Elementary — 91Emily Brittain Elementary — 75.3McQuistion Elementary — 81Meridian Elementary — 84.7Northwest Elementary — 78.4Oakland Township Elementary — 77Summit Elementary — 74<B>FREEPORT</B>High — 90.8Senior-junior high — 95.5Buffalo Elementary — 83.7South Buffalo Elementary — 77.7<B>KARNS CITY</B>High — 83.8Chicora Elementary — 67.4Sugarcreek Elementary — 73.5<B>MARS</B>High — 92.9Middle — 95.5Centennial — 88.6Mars Elementary — 83.6Primary Center — 93.1<B>MONITEAU</B>Junior-senior high — 70.9Dassa McKinney Elementary — 82.4<B>SENECA VALLEY</B>High — 80Intermediate — 75.2Middle — 90.8Evans City Middle — 90.6Haine Middle — 87.2Connoquenessing Valley Elementary — 81.7Evans City Elementary — 84.9Haine Elementary — 95.5Rowan Elementary — 74.1<B>SLIPPERY ROCK</B>High — 90.1Middle — 78.8Slippery Rock Elementary- 70Har-Mer Elementary — 79.2Moraine Elementary — 74.9<B>SOUTH BUTLER</B>Knoch High — 86.8Knoch Middle — 91.9South Butler Intermediate Elementary — 88South Butler Primary — 88.9<B>UNION</B>High — 61.5Rimersburg Elementary — 64.9Sligo Elementary — 72.4