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 2024, 35% of students in Lancaster County and 13% of Lancaster City School District students passed the PSSA Grade 8 Math exam, up 5 percentage points for the County and 1 percentage point for the District from 2023. In contrast, 20% of historically underperforming students in Lancaster County and 12% of historically underperforming students in the Lancaster City School District passed the exam in 2024, an increase of 5 percentage point in the County and 2 percentage points in the District from 2023. Lancaster County's 2024 proficiency rates were slightly higher than statewide rates of 15% for historically underperforming and 29% for all students.

Amongst neighboring counties, Lancaster County had the third-highest proficiency rate among all students, following Chester (37%) and Cumberland (36%), and has the highest performance rate among historically underperforming students, followed by Cumberland (17%), Lebanon (16%), Chester and York (both 15%), Berks (12%) and Dauphin (10%).

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.