Parent Resources

• All students currently enrolled in a Keystone trigger course (Algebra 1, Honors Algebra 1, Biology, Honors Biology, English 10, Honors English 10) will be scheduled to participate in the spring Keystone Exam test administration.
• Students currently enrolled in Algebra 2 who did not score Proficient or Advanced on the Algebra Keystone Exam during a previous test administration will retake the Algebra 1 Keystone Exam if the student has a high likelihood of scoring Proficient if tested again.
• Students who did not score Proficient or Advanced on the Biology Keystone Exam during a previous test administration will retake the Biology Keystone Exam if the student has a high likelihood of scoring Proficient if tested again.
• Students currently enrolled in American Literature who did not score Proficient or Advanced on the Literature Keystone Exam during a previous test administration will retake the Literature Keystone Exam if the student has a high likelihood of scoring Proficient if tested again

• If your child was enrolled in Algebra 1, Honors Algebra 1, Biology, Honors Biology, English 10 or Honors English 10 during a previous school year and did not score Proficient or Advanced on the Keystone Exam, your child may participate (opt-in) in the spring test administration of the Algebra, Biology or Literature Keystone Exam to satisfy the statewide graduation requirement by way of the Keystone Proficiency Pathway or the Keystone Composite Pathway.  However, Pennsylvania provides five pathways, or options, for students to meet the statewide graduation requirements, only the first two pathways are based solely on Keystone Exam scores. Three additional options exist for students who do meet the criteria of one of the Keystone Pathways.
• Keystone Exam trigger course is not required to take the associated Keystone Exam(s) and is determined to be Proficient on that Keystone Exam if the student passed the trigger course (Algebra 1, Biology, Literature); however, no numerical value will be assigned to the Proficient designation for these students. Therefore, if meeting the statewide graduation requirement by way of the Keystone Composite Pathway seems most ideal, parents/guardians of students previously enrolled in a Keystone Exam trigger course (2019-20) may opt to enroll their student in a Keystone Exam to earn a numerical score.

Federal accountability mandates articulated in the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) include testing students annually and publicly reporting achievement results for all students and subgroups of students in math and reading.  Such accountability mandates generate large amounts of data on student achievement and growth measures.

The general goal of federal education policy is to improve student learning outcomes by holding public schools responsible for the effective delivery of approved grade level standards. 

State Assessment data is of importance to help educators make informed decisions. Educators use accountability data collaboratively to guide decisions as well as plan for instruction. 

Keystone Exams are the statewide assessment that Pennsylvania uses to comply with federal accountability mandates. All students are required to take the Keystone Exams for purposes of federal accountability and reporting. 

Keystone Exams are end-of-course assessments designed to assess proficiency in Algebra I, Biology, and Literature.

The school year in which students take a Keystone Exam depends on when students are enrolled in the corresponding course.

Assessment data provides schools with information about the effectiveness of the curriculum as well as instructional strategies and resources. 

To better understand the connection between Keystone Exams and state graduation requirements, the next few responses will provide an overview of the five options students have to meet statewide graduation requirements.  Please note, students must also meet Seneca Valley graduation requirements as well as the state graduation requirements.  More information about our local graduation policy can be found on the district website by clicking on the schoolboard webpage and selecting policy number 217. 

Similarly, additional information about Keystone Exams and state graduation requirements can be found on the district website under academics. 

Pennsylvania’s statewide graduation requirements take effect with the class of 2023, which is this year’s sophomore Class.

Act 158 provides five options for meeting state graduation requirements:

1. Keystone Proficiency Pathway
2. Keystone Composite Pathway
3. Alternative Assessment Pathway
4. Evidence-Based Pathway
5. Career and Technical Education Pathway

*The first two pathways are based solely on Keystone Exam scores.

Students can meet the statewide graduation requirement by scoring proficient or advanced on each Keystone Exam - Algebra I, Literature, and Biology. 

The Keystone Composite Pathway gives students the ability to fulfill the statewide graduation requirement by earning a composite score of 4452 on all three Keystone Exams (a student must achieve a score of 1500 on any one exam to score proficient).  Additionally, the student must meet proficiency on at least one assessment and score at least basic on the other two.  Should a student meet the composite score of 4452 and receive a below basic score on any one Keystone Exam, the student will not meet the statewide graduation requirement outlined in Option 2. 

All students enrolled in a Keystone trigger course in 2019-2020 are proficient (if the student also earned a passing grade in the trigger course); however, no numerical value will be assigned to the Proficient designation for these students.   

Therefore, if graduating under the pathway 2 seems most ideal, Parents/Guardians may opt to enroll their student in a Keystone Exam to earn a numerical score. Students may opt to take a Keystone Exam during specific test windows.

Students who do not meet the requirements of option one or two based Keystone Exam scores on one or more of the Keystone exams, will need to demonstrate postsecondary readiness by providing evidence of student learning as required in option 3, 4, or 5. In addition, the remaining three options all require students to meet or exceed the locally established grade-based requirements in Algebra, Biology and Literature by earning a 60% or higher as the final course grade in addition to other requirements.

To meet the requirement of option 3, the Alternative Assessment Pathway, students must meet or exceed locally established grade-based requirement in the associated content area of the Keystone Exam and achieve an established equivalent score on an alternate assessment such as Advanced Placement Exam, PSAT, SAT, ACT, or successful completion of a pre-apprenticeship program. Evidence of acceptance in an accredited 4-year nonprofit institution of higher education is also a possibility in option 3.  

To meet the requirements of the Evidence Based pathway, students must meet or exceed locally established grade-based requirement in the associated content area of the Keystone Exam and present at least three approved pieces of evidence relating to a student’s postsecondary or career objectives that reflect graduation readiness (such as attainment of a score of proficient or advanced on a Keystone Exam; a letter guaranteeing fulltime employment; a certificate of successful completion of an internship or cooperative education program; or satisfactory compliance with the NCAA’s core courses for college-bound student athletes with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0).

To meet the requirements of the Career and Technical Education Pathway, students must meet or exceed locally established grade-based requirement in the associated content area of the Keystone Exam and demonstrates graduation readiness through evidence specific to CTE program certifications. 

For students currently enrolled in a Keystone trigger course, Keystone Exams will be administered this Spring.

For students enrolled in a Keystone trigger course prior to this school year, the Biology Keystone Exam will be offered during the winter testing window and the Algebra and Literature Keystone Exams will be offered during the spring assessment window.

Any student enrolled in a 2019-20 Keystone Exam trigger course is not required to take the associated Keystone Exam(s) and is determined to be PROFICIENT on that Keystone Exam if the student passed the trigger course (Algebra 1, Biology, Literature).