Instead of using standardized tests this year to measure itself against the state, the Moniteau School District will use them to find areas where students need improvement.

Moniteau Superintendent Tom Samosky said the state Department of Education has extended the period school districts could administer the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) and the Keystone Exam this year, after waiving the requirement for the tests last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

He said student learning loss from educational challenges presented by the pandemic is a factor the state and the school district want to measure through these tests.

“Part of it is to assess learning models and to see if our methods are working,” Samosky said. “My focus is to use it as a way to identify areas of need.”

Read more in Sunday's Butler Eagle.