Nov 6, 2014 1 min read

HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania education officials said performance scores for nearly 3,000 public schools remained largely steady, even after accounting for tougher exams.

The Department of Education released the scores Thursday.

It’s the second year for the scores after Republican Gov. Tom Corbett’s administration said they would give parents, administrators and taxpayers the ability to monitor student achievement, build on successes and better address failings.

For the second straight year, 72 percent of schools scored a 70 or above. Acting Education Secretary Carolyn Dumaresq last year called that threshold “the mark of moving toward success.”

Schools that earned below a score of 60 dropped by less than 1 percent. This year’s performance scores are the first in which student growth data will be used to evaluate teachers.