Author: Aaron Springborn

I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Senior at Millersville University with a study in Broadcasting.

Schools In Pennsylvania Thinking of Alternatives For Students That Do Not Succeed On The Keystone Exam

Pennsylvania schools including Lancaster County, are switching from a traditional way of testing to a more modern and up to date version of testing.  However, some members Pennsylvania’s State congress that think that it would not help students that are not in schools that are not performing as well. Some loopholes were discussed as certain classes do not cover material needed to pass these exams successfully. The PA education board has to do a six-month study to find out what is needed to get students prepared so they can pass The Keystone Exams.  The state is making it clear that the Keystones are not made to be the test in order to graduate even though the it is a requirement.

Links to learn more about Senate Bill 880 and more about Pennsylvania Assessment Testing

You can learn all about the Keystone exams at www.education.pa.gov.

To learn more information about senate Bill 880 http://www.governor.pa.gov.

To learn about the PSSA’s test. www.education.pa.gov/PSSA’s

To learn more about Common Core www.corestandards.org

 

Pennsylvania Schools Including Lancaster County Are Getting Ready For The Keystone Exams

Standardized testing has been on the up rise for most students though grades 3 through 8th. The state is very accommodating for students when taking these type of tests. Teachers and professors suggest that students practice by doing sample PSSA questions. When students think about these tests, they either think the end of the school year and others think it is just part of a routine done at school.  The subjects that the students will be tested on are algebra I, reading and biology. Some teachers do not think this is fair because some students may have a disadvantage because not everyone comprehends the same.

Lancaster Counties Schools Delay Implementation Of The Keystone Exams

Pennsylvania is delaying the graduation requirement test known as The Keystone Exams. The bill passed unanimously. This will affect all of the schools statewide including in Lancaster County. The goal for these exams is to make sure students are ready for work or higher education by the time they graduate. However, schools need more time before the test is required for the Keystone exams are prudent to allow more time to look over to evaluate the best options to measure students’ success accurately. Governor Wolf released this statement saying that

” While we should have high academic and education standards in the commonwealth, there have been issues with the implementation of the Keystone exams, which is why I am signing a bill to delay their use as a graduation requirement.”

Governor Wolf is confident with is administrating engaging with faculty and administrators and students and leaders form the community and other advocates around the state to enhance school accountability that will support schools and help students in Pennsylvania.

So why is it a big deal?

Students will not need to pass the keystone exams in order to graduate until the year of 2018-2019.

There is a new alternative for students to demonstrate their academic ability known as Project Based Assessment (PBA). However, this option is proving costly and time consuming to school districts.

New legislation requires that the department of education to investigate alternative mounds for students to exemplify academic success in the classroom for graduation not just for the keystone exams.

The Department of education is planning to meet with stakeholders to discuss of how to enhance the process and examine the necessary of post academic and career readiness so that all students can meet all graduation requirements.

PSSA results did show a 35 percent drop in math and a 9 percent drop in language arts across the entire state. Officials do say that they are in the early stages of this process of actually assessing and measuring student academic success. The Keystones had taken effect in 2014.  In addition to that, only 40 percent of students received proficient or higher on their math PSSAs.

Lancaster county came in at 47 percent. This include school districts such as Manheim Township and Elizabethtown. One of the lower scoring schools was Columbia Middle School. Only 20 percent scored proficient or above. Less than half of the schools in Lancaster county scored proficient or higher when it came to math.

Only 60 percent scored proficient or higher when it came to language arts for the state.  For Lancaster county, math’s proficient rate was 65 percent and langue arts was 75 percent.

The talks of this bill began in last year.  It was first introduced in last Summer. Then it went to the senate.  The next time the senate mentioned this bill was in mid-January of the year.  Then, the bill was passed in the senate. Then six days later the bill was passed by the house.  The Governor received on his desk the next day. Then it was approved and signed by the Governor.

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