In accordance with Pennsylvania’s Act 158 of 2018, beginning with the graduating class of 2023, students must meet statewide graduation requirements in one of five ways.

Scoring proficient or advanced on each Keystone Exam - Algebra 1, Literature, and Biology. 

Earning a satisfactory composite score of 4452 on the Algebra I, Literature, and Biology Keystone Exams. The student will earn proficient or advanced on at least one Keystone Exam and score at least basic on the other two Keystone Exams. No exam score can be below basic. 

 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Keystones were not administered in May 2020. As such, per PDE, all students who were enrolled in a Keystone course during the 2019-2020 school year are deemed “proficient” on the corresponding Keystone exam if the student passed the high school course associated with the exam. For the West Shore School District, these students must have achieved a 70% or higher to be considered proficient on the Keystone Exam. 

 

It is important to note, students deemed proficient under this special allowance will not receive a numeric score to be associated with the specific Keystone Exam for which they are deemed proficient. Therefore, if a student wants to attain the statewide graduation requirement by using the composite score pathway, the student would need to take the corresponding Keystone exam. Students deemed proficient by passing the Keystone course cannot be negatively impacted by opting in to take the Keystone Exam should they not score proficient on the corresponding exam. 

Earning a passing grade on the courses associated with each Keystone Exam for which the student did not achieve proficiency and attainment of an industry-based competency certification related to the CTE Concentrator’s program of study. Common examples of this are passing the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI) or the National Institute of Metalworking Skills (NIMS) assessment in an approved Career and Technical Education concentration. Demonstration of a high likelihood of success on an approved industry-based competency assessment or readiness for continued meaningful engagement in the CTE Concentrator’s program of study also qualify. 

Earning a passing grade on the courses associated with each Keystone Exam for which the student did not achieve proficiency and satisfactorily completing one of the following: an alternative assessment (SAT, PSAT, ACT, ASVAB), advanced coursework (Advanced Placement Exams or concurrent enrollment courses), pre-apprenticeship, or acceptance in a four-year nonprofit institution of higher education for college-level coursework.

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 SAT, Advanced Placement Exams and concurrent coursework, higher education acceptance, attainment of an industry-recognized credential, community learning project, completion of an internship, externship or co-op or full-time employment or satisfactory compliance with the NCAA’s core courses for college-bound student athletes with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0.