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). Beginning with the Class of 2022, Keystone proficiency on all three exams is a graduation requirement. Students who were enrolled in a Keystone related course did not have the opportunity to take the Keystone Exams in the spring of 2020 due to the COVID-19 shutdown. While participation in the exam for these students is not required, the graduation requirement is still in place beginning with the Class of 2022. 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. As a result, those students who did not take the exam in the spring of 2020 will be scheduled to take the exam in during the 2020-2021 school year. For more information regarding Act 158 and the graduation requirements, please visit the PDE Act 158 webpage.
