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Intro

Act 158, which was signed into law by Governor Tom Wolf on October 24, 2018, shifts Pennsylvania’s

reliance on high stakes testing as a graduation requirement to provide alternatives for high school

students to demonstrate readiness for postsecondary success.

Act 158 provides an outline of five distinct pathways to meet PA graduation requirements starting with

the graduating class of 2023.

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Original Criteria

  1. Complete the existing SDP graduation requirements. There are no changes to these - including course and credit requirements, and the senior project.
  2. Pass all three of the Keystone courses. Whether a student must also pass a Keystone exam depends on their navigation of specific pathways - but in all cases they must pass the associated courses.

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The OG 23.5

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Pathway 1

Pass all Keystones (Algebra, Biology, Literature) with Proficient or Advanced.

  • Algebra 1 - 9th grade - 1500+
  • Biology - 9th grade - 1500+
  • Literature (English 2) - 10th grade - 1500+

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Pathway 2

  • Have a Keystone composite score of 4452
  • Must have at least one passing Keystone
  • Cannot have any score Below Basic on any exam

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Pathway 3

  • CTE students only!
  • Students can graduate via this pathway if they pass an industry-based competency certification aligned with their CTE pathway, OR if they “demonstrate a high likelihood of success on an approved industry-based competency assessment or readiness for continued meaningful engagement in the CTE concentrator’s program of study.”
  • Passing a industry-based competency certification occurs in the 11th grade year. However, student’s are not considered “concentrators” until they finish (and pass) their first CTE course (BA 1 or MA 1).

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Pathway 4

  • Alternative Assessments
  • AP or IB Exams (3 or higher) for a single keystone exam
  • Complete replacements
    • PSAT - 970
    • SAT - 1010
    • ACT WorkKeys (Gold Level)
    • ASVAB (minimum score to enter any military branch) - 31
    • Admission to an accredited 4-year nonprofit institution of higher education AND evidence of ability to enroll in college-level coursework. Dual Enrollment
    • Completion of an approved pre-apprenticeship program

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Pathway 5

Choose your own adventure - pick 3 (some may be used twice!)

  • Proficient or Advanced on one Keystone Exam
  • Successful Alternative Assessment (AP or IB exam score of 3, Act WorkKeys Silver Level).
  • Admission to an accredited other-than-4-year nonprofit institution of higher education AND evidence of ability to enroll in college-level coursework.
  • Documented attainment of an eligible industry recognized credential.
  • Completion of a service-learning project.
  • Letter guaranteeing full-time employment.
  • Compliance with NCAA's core course for college-bound student athletes with a minimum GPA requirement (2.0) in approved NCAA core courses (because this is dynamic, please pick something else).

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Don’t forget your Service Hours!

96 service hours are required prior to graduation. There are two types of service:

  • School service occurs in school and staff can input the hours directly. Some examples are assisting during school events, managing a sports team, helping teachers after school.

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  • Community service takes place with a non-profit organization. Once complete, the student should receive a letter exampling the type of service completed, the number of hours, and contact information for verification. These letters are to be turned in to room 306.