Senator Martin’s Bill Increasing Graduation Pathways Advances

HARRISBURG – The Senate Education Committee approved legislation today that closes a scoring loophole for the Keystone Exams, Chairman Scott Martin (R-13) said.

“At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic the General Assembly passed legislation which provided a proficient score for waived Keystone exams in response to major disruptions in our schools,” Martin said. “Students excused from taking a Keystone exam in 2020 should not be inadvertently prevented from pursuing one of our state’s graduation pathways.”

In 2018, the legislature expanded opportunities available to students to meet the statewide requirements to graduate high school, including a three-score composite option via the Keystone exams. Students earning a combined score of 4,452 on the Algebra, Biology and Literature tests qualify, so long as they achieve a “proficient” level on at least one exam and no less than “basic” on the others.

In 2020, the federal government waived statewide assessments and the state legislature adopted Act 136, which assigned students an automatic “proficient” on all waived exams, but no numerical score. As such, students impacted by the waiver can’t apply for the three-score composite pathway without retesting.

“We need to act to create a temporary pathway for students impacted by the waiver and provide this much needed remedy to our students and schools,” Martin said.

Senate Bill 1244 now advances to the full Senate for consideration.

 

CONTACT: Terry Trego, 717-787-6535

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