The state of Pennsylvania issues a statewide exam called the “Keystones” for students in Algebra 1, Biology 1 and English 10. Depending on the route they took for math, some students took the Algebra 1 Keystones in eighth grade, if they were enrolled in honors. These exams are similar to the state wide exam called the “Pennsylvania System of School Assessment” (PSSA). The Keystones require students to take an exam in May to assess their knowledge on the subjects. In order to pass the Keystones, a score of 1500 is needed, which is otherwise known as “proficient.” As of the 2022-2023 school year, the state made these exams a requirement for graduation.

Originally, if a student did not score proficient on the exam, they would be required to retake the exam the following school year and were expected to study the material on their own time. However, during the 2023-2024 school year, changes were made to this process. Any student who had scored less than proficient on the exam was required to attend a remediation class that was held once a week. Students were required and expected to attend this remediation each week to relearn the material. The teachers held this remediation during the students personal-learning-time (PLT). The students were each given a learning booklet so they could follow along with the teacher during this time. The packet included reading comprehension questions, as well as multiple choice questions. During  remediation, the teachers made sure to make this process interactive, asking students questions about their reading to make sure they would gain the knowledge they needed to pass their Keystones.

“This year, I had to take the Biology 1 remediation class. I feel the class helped me a lot and encouraged me to score better on my Keystones,” sophomore Trinity Vojtko said.

The purpose of the new remediation courses was to encourage better scores on the Keystones when it came down to retaking them. This year, the scores on the Keystone retakes have improved immensely since last year after making remediation mandatory.

“I learned exactly what we needed to know in order to pass the Keystones and it refreshed my mind, giving me a passing score,” sophomore Reese Neely said.

Although scoring proficient on all three Keystones is necessary to graduate, there are other options if a student is unable to pass them. If a student is college-bound, then passing all three is recommended, but students are also able to participate in community service to make up for the failure of the Keystones.