Students who were enrolled in Keystone courses last year (2019-2020) are eligible and will be provided the opportunity to take the Keystone Exams related to those courses this year.
If your child completed an Algebra I course, a Biology or Conceptual Biology course or an English 9 or Advanced English 9 course, we are recommending that they still take this assessment to satisfy Pennsylvania graduation requirements. The Pennsylvania Department of Education requires school districts in Pennsylvania to administer the Keystone Exam to all students who are enrolled in a Keystone related course to meet federal, state and Mars Area School District graduation requirements.
Mars Area High School will use the following schedule to complete the Keystone exam:
Winter Wave 1 — December 1-15, 2020
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- For all students who completed a Keystone related course in the 2019-2020 school year. These courses include Algebra I at the middle school or high school, Conceptual Biology, Biology, English 9 or Advanced English 9.
Spring Wave — May 17-28, 2021
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- For all students who are currently enrolled in a Keystone related course in the 2020-2021 school year. These courses include Algebra I at the middle school or high school, Conceptual Biology, Biology, English 9 or Advanced English 9.
There is an available window open in the beginning of October 2020, but Mars Area High School is recommending that students at the high school take the exams in either the Winter or Spring window with more time to review and prepare. More information about the specifics of the Winter window as well as review materials will be forthcoming. If you would like to take the exam in the delayed summer wave that is being offered at the beginning of October, please contact Mrs. Rosswog immediately.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education requires students to score Proficient or Advanced on the end-of-course Keystone Exams. Students who do not score proficient on the exam will have the opportunity to re-test in future testing windows and we will then look at one of the other pathways for graduation.
Attached, you will find an ACT 158 Pennsylvania Graduation Requirements document that explains several pathways to meet graduation requirements. We believe your child is very capable of meeting the Keystone Proficiency Pathway and therefore high recommend that all students take the exam in either the Winter or Spring wave. We encourage your child to take this exam so that they can get one-step closer to meeting ACT 158 requirements as early as possible.
Act 158 Statewide High School Graduation Requirement Guidance
The results of all Keystone Exams will be reported to you as a parent or guardian. In addition to individual student results, the district will receive subject area results that show how well our students are performing on these exams. School personnel will use the information to analyze and adjust our educational programs.
If you have any questions regarding the Keystone Exams, please visit the Standards Aligned System website at www.pdesas.org or contact the Mars Area High School at (724) 625-1581.