Assessments
The annual Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) is a standards based criterion-referenced assessment used to measure a student’s attainment of the academic standards while also determining the degree to which school programs enable students to attain proficiency of the standards. Every Pennsylvania student in grades 3 through 8 take PSSA assessments in the Spring of each school year. High School students take a Keystone exit examine at the conclusion of their Literature, Biology, and Algebra classes.
2020 Winter Keystones
Cameron County High School will be administering Keystone Exams for students who did not take them in the spring of 2020 due to the COVID school closure. While students may elect not to take these exams, legislation requires students to meet specific graduation requirements. Passing the Keystone Exams is one way to meet these requirements. See below for more information.
Senate Bill 1095, which was signed into law by Governor Tom Wolf on October 24, 2018, shifts Pennsylvania’s reliance on high stakes testing as a graduation requirement to provide alternatives for high school students to demonstrate readiness for postsecondary success. Formerly, Pennsylvania’s graduation requirement was more restrictive, requiring most students to pass the Keystone Exams — end of course exams in Algebra I, Literature, and Biology. Senate Bill 1095 will expand the options for students to demonstrate postsecondary readiness using four additional pathways that more fully illustrate college, career, and community readiness.
The statewide graduation requirement takes effect for the graduating class of 2022. While there is no statewide graduation requirement for the classes of 2019, 2020, and 2021, students, parents, and guardians should reference local policies governing graduation, which are not preempted by the moratorium on the statewide requirement. Beginning in the 2021-22 school year, the statewide graduation requirement will apply, as will any other locally-established policies and requirements.
Additionally, Keystone Exams are the statewide assessment that Pennsylvania uses to comply with accountability requirements in the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Each state is expected to achieve 95 percent participation on its statewide exams.
Students can meet the statewide graduation requirement by:
Scoring proficient or advanced on each Keystone Exam - Algebra I, Literature, and Biology.
Earning a satisfactory composite score on the Algebra I, Literature, and Biology Keystone Exams. The passing composite score will be available in August 2021.
Earning a passing grade on the courses associated with each Keystone Exam, and satisfactorily complete one of the following: an alternative assessment (SAT, PSAT, ACT, ASVAB, Gold Level ACT WorkKeys), advanced coursework (AP, IB, concurrent enrollment courses), pre-apprenticeship, or acceptance in a 4-year nonprofit institution of higher education for college-level coursework.
Earning a passing grade on the courses associated with each Keystone Exam, and pass the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI) or the National Institute of Metalworking Skills (NIMS) assessment in an approved Career and Technical Education concentration.
Earning a passing grade on the courses associated with each Keystone Exam, and demonstrate readiness for postsecondary engagement through three pieces of evidence from the student’s career portfolio aligned to student goals and career plan. Examples of evidence will include ACT WorkKeys, SAT Subject tests, AP, IB and concurrent coursework, higher education acceptance, community learning project, completion of an internship, externship or co-op or full-time employment.
Testing Schedule
PARENT NOTIFICATION: Students may have all the testing time needed to adequately complete all state tests; however, the test must be completed on the same day. Parents will be notified 30 minutes prior to the end of school if their child has requested to have extra time beyond the normal close of school. This will only occur during those time blocks listed as PM testing.
PSSA Testing - Woodland
English
Math
Science
PSSA testing - Grades 7 & 8
English
Math
Science
Keystone Exams - HS
Literature
Winter:
Spring:
Algebra
Winter:
Spring:
Biology
Winter:
Spring:
See Links below for Additional Testing Information
PA Department of Education: Assessment and Accountability
Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA)
The Pennsylvania Department of Education recognizes that students – and the schools that serve them – are more than just standardized test scores. Launched in November 2018, the Future Ready PA Index is the result of discussions with thousands of educators, parents, advocates, policymakers, and business leaders across Pennsylvania about how communities should evaluate schools.
Resources for additional help with all subjects
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