Keystone Exams
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.
Learn more about Pennsylvania’s statewide graduation requirements.
Getting Ready for State Assessments
District Assessment Coordinator Training
The Spring 2023 Keystone Exams Training will only be via PowerPoint and not a live webinar.
District Assessment Coordinators Training of School Assessment Coordinators
To assist DACs in the training of SACs, we developed the attached PowerPoint. Using this document is not required by PDE but rather is offered as a way to save time for DACs as preparation for state testing begins. There are places you can enter dates specific to your district within the document.