The middle school math examination serves as a checkpoint for high school preparation. Performance on this exam can help predict high school success in math. Proficiency among historically underperforming students can show whether districts and education policymakers have made progress in closing the achievement gap between traditionally underserved groups and other students.

In 2021, 25% of students in Lancaster County and 3% of Lancaster City School District passed the PSSA Grade 8 Math exam, down 12 percentage point for the County and down 7 percentage points for the District since 2019. In contrast, 11% of historically underperforming students in Lancaster County and 2% of historically underperforming students in the Lancaster City School District passed the exam in 2021, a decrease of 7 percentage points in the County and 6 percentage points in the District from 2019. Lancaster County's 2021 proficiency rates were slightly higher than statewide rates of 9% for historically underperforming and 22% for all students.

Lancaster County has the third-highest proficiency rate among all students, following Chester (29%) and Cumberland (26%), and the highest performance rate among historically underperforming students. Lancaster County's share of historically underperforming students in eighth grade (11%) is similar to Chester and York (both 9%), and higher than Berks and Cumberland (both at 7%), and Lebanon and Dauphin (both at 6%).

As assessments vary among states, it is not possible to include comparable data for the nation or other areas in this indicator. Data are from the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

The Spring 2020 PSSA was cancelled in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 2021 PSSA results were delayed. 2021 results may not reflect representative samples of the schools' students. Cross-year comparisons of proficiency are likely to be inaccurate for this reason.