On October 22nd The Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC) approved the Academic Standards and Assessments Regulation approved by the State Board of Education.
This regulation requires students in the class of 2015 to either take Keystone Exams in Algebra 1, Biology, English Composition, and Literature or a state approved local assessment in these courses. The exams will count one third of the course grade and students scoring below basic will receive a zero on the test. The new regulation is described in Keystone Exam 3.0 Proposed Final Form Regulation document, which you may download in the link at the bottom of this page. PASCD opposed this new regulation and both provided testimony before the State Board of Education and presented written comments to the IRRC. PASCD's opposition statement can be seen in the section below. You may also download the PASCD Opposes Revised Keystone Exam document by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page. It is important for PASCD members to volunteer for any committees that may be created to implement this new regulation so that members can have input in implementing the regulation.
PASCD Opposes Revised Keystone Proposal
July 10, 2009
PASCD has reviewed the revised Keystone Exams Proposal that will be acted upon by the State Board of Education and cannot support these proposed regulations at this time.PASCD appreciates the dialogue that the state Board and the Pennsylvania Department of Education has initiated and accepts that this revision includes several significant compromises on the part of the State Board and PDE.
However, PASCD has serious concerns with three significant parts of the Proposed Keystone Exams.
Students scoring below basic will receive no points on the exam. The possible result for some students is that they might have an 85% average for the course, score below basic on the final and receive a grade of 57% ((85+85+0)/3=57)) and fail the course. The students will have to retake the test or the modules they failed.
The exams will count 33% of the course. Most high school final exams count 10% to 20% of a course.
Wealthy and larger districts will be more able to design and locally validate alternative local assessments. Although PDE is required to pay one half the cost of validation many smaller or poorer districts will not have the expertise or money to develop locally validated assessments.
PASCD believes that these major parts of the Keystone Exam Program will result in a negative impact on students who do not respond well to standardized tests, on students identified as needing special support and students who do not have access to an equitable and adequate education.
PASCD members are willing to continue a dialogue that will result in improving the achievement of all children.
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Pennsylvania Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development
