Frequently Asked Questions

Keystone Exams are used for three purposes: student, school, and teacher accountability. The results of these exams are gathered and published annually as part of the Future Ready PA Index. Additionally, Keystone Exams are used towards the ESSA report card, are incorporated into the evaluation of each teacher and principal, and are used for local and national ratings. 
 
Act 158, signed into law by Governor Tom Wolf, shifts Pennsylvania’s reliance on these tests as the sole path for meeting state mandated graduation requirements, and now provides alternatives for high school students to demonstrate readiness for postsecondary success. Act 158 applies to the Class of 2023 and beyond.  
 
Act 13, was signed into law by Governor Tom Wolf on March 27, 2020 and revises the Act 82 Educator Effectiveness (EE) process used to evaluate professional employees in PreK-12 education across Pennsylvania beginning in the 2021-2022 school year. Keystone scores are one aspect of the data that contributes to the overall rating of a teacher. 

Students must take a Keystone exam at the end of each of the Keystone-assessed courses. (i.e.: At the end of the year, students in Biology will take the Biology Keystone Exam.)  

If a student does not score Proficient after taking the Keystone exam in the spring, they can retest in December of the following school year.  If they do not score Proficient after the December exam, they can meet the statewide graduation requirement by completing one of the PA Graduation Requirement Pathways.   

Additionally, if a student does not score advanced or proficient on the spring and winter waves and wish to retest, he or she needs to inform both their school counselor and Dr. Joseph MacNamara, Assistant Principal of Student Services.  

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the statewide graduation requirement associated with Keystone proficiency has been postponed and now only applies to the Class of 2023 and beyond.
As a result of Act 136, signed into law by Governor Tom Wolf on November 25, 2020, any student who was scheduled to take a Keystone Exam in Spring 2020 has been determined proficient on that exam if they passed the course. This applies to Radnor High School students who were enrolled in Algebra I, Biology and/or Literature (10th-Grade English) during the 2019-2020 school year. Awarded “proficient” scores cannot be used toward Pathway #2 and a composite score of 4452. 

However, Act 55 of 2022 amends the Pennsylvania School Code to further assist students in meeting statewide high school graduation requirements. Effective immediately, any student may graduate via the Keystone two composite score pathway provided the student:

• Earned a non-numeric Proficient in a Keystone Exam pursuant to Act 136 of 2020;
• Successfully completes locally established, grade-based requirements for academic content associated with each Keystone Exam in which the student does not have a numeric or non-numeric score of Proficient/Advanced; and
• Achieves a Keystone Composite score of 2939 or greater for two of the three Keystone Exams (calculated using the highest numerical scores attained by the student, neither of which may be Below Basic and at least one of which must be Proficient or better).

Keystone remediation is not required for students who do not achieve proficiency on the Keystone Exams.  

No, the Pennsylvania Department of Education does not allow for retests once a student has scored proficient. 

No, once a student scores Proficient or Advanced, they have satisfied the state requirements for that content area. 

Students with special needs will receive accommodations as outlined in their IEP or 504 Plan, subject to any limitations the state has placed on a particular test. Additionally, all Keystone exams are untimed.

Per Act 158, should any student in the Class of 2023 and below not achieve advanced or proficient on the Keystones, they can now meet the statewide graduation requirements by completing one of the following pathways.

Radnor High School prepares students to be critical thinkers. Our students continue to perform at an extremely high level on the Keystone Exams.To see how Radnor High School compares to the rest of the state, visit the Future Ready PA Index.
 
Courses with Keystone Exams are designed to address the requirements of these tests. Radnor High School utilizes Classroom Diagnostic Tools (CDTs) to identify student strengths and needs and provide students opportunities to practice the types of questions they will see. Test prep and review materials are also provided to students to assist in studying for the exams. 

Yes. Chapter 4 of Title 2 of the Pa. Code (22 Pa. Code 4.4) provides for the right of any parent/guardian to excuse a child from the state assessment if, upon inspection of the testing materials, the parent/guardian finds the assessment to be in conflict with the parent’s/guardian’s religious beliefs. This is the only basis under Chapter 4 rules for a parent/guardian to excuse a child from the statewide assessments.

Process for opting out of the Keystone Exams:

1. Contact Dr. MacNamara via e-mail at Joseph.MacNamara@rtsd.org and request a meeting at Radnor High School to review Keystone Exam(s).
2. At the meeting with Dr. MacNamara, parent/guardian will sign the Parent Confidentially Agreement prior to examining the test.  Dr. MacNamara will have the Parent Confidentially Agreement ready at the meeting. Parents/guardians may not photocopy, write down, or in any other manner record any portion of the assessments, including directions.
3. If after reviewing the test, parents/guardians find the test to be in conflict with their religious beliefs and wish their student(s) to be excused from the test, the parents/guardians must provide a written request to the Superintendent or Chief Executive Officer that states they do not want their child tested because the test conflicts with their religious beliefs.

Students in the class of 2023 and below who opt out due to religious reasons are still required under state law to demonstrate proficiency on the Keystone content in each of the assessed areas using an alternative pathway in place of the exam.

Yes, per state law, PDE requires schools to put the highest level of proficiency level for each Keystone exam on the student’s transcript.  Successful completion of an alternative pathway counts as “Proficient” for the module in question. 

Students experiencing a significant and sudden medical condition preventing them from taking a Keystone Exam during the testing window must have a note from their doctor stating the reason for the temporary exemption, and start and end dates for the condition. Any student who misses the testing period will make-up the missed Keystone Exams at the next available window. Students who are unable to take a Keystone Exam due to a significant and sudden medical condition will also be unable to participate in extra-curricular activities during the testing window. 

Encourage your student to relax and do their best. While some may take issues with the system, we all need to do the best we possibly can.