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of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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    The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed by President Obama on December 10, 2015. This measure reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965.

    The Keystone exams meet the federal accountability criteria of ESSA for the high school level. Students must take the Keystone Exams for purposes of federal accountability. Failure to do so will affect a Local Education Agency (LEA) and school's participation rate.

    The Keystone exams were created to replace the Grade 11 PSSA and serve as one component of Pennsylvania's statewide high school graduation requirement. Keystone Exams will help school districts guide students toward meeting state standards. The exams are end-of-course assessments designed to assess proficiency in the subject areas of Algebra I, Literature, and Biology.

    Reporting Violations

    Testing irregularities should be reported to the PDE by telephoning 844-418-1651 or emailing ra-ed-pssa-keystone@pa.gov. Please provide as many details as possible when reporting irregularities including how to contact the person making the report.

    Resource Materials

    Testing

    Keystone Exam Scale

    Content Area
    		​Below Basic​Basic​Proficient​Advanced
    ​Algebra I​1200-1438​1439-1499​1500-1545​1546-1800
    ​Biology​1200-1459​1460-1499​1500-1548​1549-1800
    ​Literature​1200-1443​1444-1499​1500-1583​1584-1800
    Assessments

    Graduation Requirements

    Learn about Pennsylvania’s Pathways to Graduation, which provide alternative avenues for high school students to demonstrate postsecondary preparedness and satisfy statewide requirements without attaining Keystone Exam proficiency.

    Pathways to Graduation