Keystone Information for Parents/Students
Act 158 Keystone Exams: Graduation Requirement
The Pennsylvania Department of Education has instituted Keystone exams as a measure of student mastery of state standards. The three exams are administered as an end-of-course exam in the areas of Algebra, Biology, and Literature (Grade 10).
Effective with the graduating class of 2023, students have the option to demonstrate postsecondary preparedness through one of four additional pathways that more fully illustrate college, career, and community readiness. While Keystone Exams will continue as the statewide assessment Pennsylvania uses to comply with accountability requirements set forth in the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), students will no longer be required to achieve proficiency on the Keystone Exams to meet the statewide graduation requirement. However, 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.
Act 158 provides five pathways for meeting the graduation requirements. These options are: (1) Keystone Proficiency Pathway, (2) Keystone Composite Pathway (this is a combined score of all three Keystone Exams), (3) Alternate Assessment Pathway, (4) Evidence-Based Pathway, and (5) Career and Technical Education Pathway. For more information regarding Act 158 and the graduation requirements, please visit the PDE Act 158 webpage.
