Transcript Slide 1

Sherry Roland-Washington
June 12, 2012
Table of Contents
• Big Picture: How Does It All Connect?
• Keystone Exams
•National Assessments: Advanced Placement/International
Baccalaureate
Big Picture: How Does It All Connect?
Two-thirds of all new jobs created in the United States require
at least some postsecondary education
It’s critical that we prepare all students to graduate high school with the potential
to continue their studies and grow their skills.
New Graduation Requirements and Assessments:
•Designed to help all students, beginning with the class of 2015, demonstrate
proficiency in state academic standards
•Complement the standards that guide Pennsylvania’s high schools’ education
systems: Pennsylvania Standards and the Common Core State Standards
•Grounded in Pennsylvania’s comprehensive approach to supporting student
achievement using the Standards Aligned System (SAS) portal
Graduation Requirements
School district graduation policies must at least include:
Graduation Policy Phases
PHASE ONE: Students graduating in
2016-2017 must demonstrate
proficiency in:
• Literature
• Algebra I
• Biology
KEYSTONE EXAMS
Keystone Exams
A district may choose to administer a state-developed Keystone Exam in
core subjects that would serve as the final exam and count for at least 33%
of the course grade.
Beginning with the graduating class of 2016 -2017, Keystone Exams are:
• Administered at the end of the course
• Students now must demonstrate proficiency on the
Keystone Exam.
• All language stating that the Keystone Exams count one
third of a course grade has been eliminated.
Keystone Exams
• There will be no Keystone Exams in Algebra 2, Geometry,
Chemistry, or any social studies courses.
• A student may be permitted to retake a Keystone Exam or
Keystone Exam module if he/she has satisfactorily
participated in supplemental instruction.
• PDE will develop a project based assessment system for the
modules of the Keystone Exams in Algebra 1, EnglishLanguage Arts, and Biology for students in grade 12 who
have not demonstrated proficiency on a Keystone Exam or
module.
Keystone Exams
• Students who do not score proficient on the Keystone Exams
shall be provided with supplemental instruction until they can
demonstrate proficiency in the subject area.
• Charter school and cyber-charter schools are now covered in
the regulations.
• Students may qualify to use the project based assessments in
lieu of demonstrating proficiency on a Keystone Exam or
module under the following conditions. Students must have
not demonstrated proficiency on a Keystone exam(s) after at
least two attempts. Students cannot take the project based
assessment before the twelfth grade and they must have
participated in a satisfactory manner in supplementary
instruction.
Alignment to Standards
• Keystone Exams align with Pennsylvania’s Standards Aligned
System (SAS) and the Common Core State Standards
• The Keystone Exams are simply a new assessment tool for
Pennsylvania school districts
• Test questions for the Keystone Exams in English and Math
will be guided by Eligible Content on the Standards Aligned
System website (www.pdesas.org)
100-Point Scale
Each Keystone Exam is graded on a 100-point scale. The chart below shows
the points associated with each performance level.
Performance Level
Points
Below Basic
0
Basic
50-69
Proficient
70-89
Advanced
90-100
Test Format
Keystone Exam Questions:
•
•
•
Includes multiple-choice questions and constructed-response, or open-ended questions.
Algebra I and Biology: 60%-75% of the total score from multiple-choice questions and;
25%-40% of the total score from constructed-response questions
English Composition: 20% of the total score will come from multiple-choice, and 80% from
constructed-response questions
Keystone Exam Scoring:
•
•
Each correct multiple-choice question is worth one point
Partial credit could be given on constructed-response questions, depending on the rubric
Keystone Exam Format:
•
•
•
Online and paper/pencil formats available for all Keystone Exams
Each district will individually determine if online, paper/pencil or both formats will be used
Each exam will take approximately 2 to 2.5 hours to complete
Retesting
Students can take the Keystone Exam up to 3 times per school year.
•
Students who don’t score ‘proficient’ can retake the entire test or just the
module they didn’t pass
•
Retesting scoring will be based on the highest module scores, so it is in the
best interest of the student to retake the entire Keystone Exam
•
If a student has not achieved proficiency after 2 attempts, he/she can
complete a project-based alternative to demonstrate his/her knowledge in the
subject matter
Accommodations
ONLINE KEYSTONE EXAMS
PAPER/PENCIL KEYSTONE EXAMS
• Audio versions of the Math and
• Appropriate accommodations will be
Science Keystone Exams will be
available online
permitted based on recommendation
from the student’s teacher(s) or
Individual Education Program (IEP)
• A magnifier will be available for
students to use on all versions of the
online Keystone Exams
Keystone accommodations guidelines
will be available in spring 2012
• Questions can only be read out loud in
Keystone Math and Science Exams and
only if it doesn’t interrupt other
students’ testing
• Only Math and Science Keystone
Exams will be translated into Spanish
NATIONAL ASSESSMENTS:
AP/IB EXAMS
AP/IB National Assessments
•
Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) exams can be
taken in place of a Keystone Exam or a locally developed assessment
•
A high score on either exam in a related content area will fulfill the new
graduation requirements
•
The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) will release policy guidance
regarding the minimum score on each AP or IB exam that will satisfy
graduation requirements
Tentative Plan for Calculating High
School AYP in 2013
• Although none of the current 8th grade and higher
students are required to take the Keystone exams for
graduation purposes, they will be required to
complete the Keystone exams at the high school level
as a way of calculating AYP for the High School
Building.
• A Student may opt to take the Keystone assessment
in lieu of taking the course. If the student earns
proficient or advance they will earn the credit for the
course.
Tentative Plan for Calculating High
School AYP in 2013
• Scores of students from lower grades will be “banked
until student enters high school. (example: students
taking the Algebra 1 Keystone next year as 8th
graders will have their scores banked until they are
9th graders. At that point, their scores will be
calculated in the high school’s AYP score)
• A high school student’s score will count for AYP each
time they take it (during these three transition years.
Graduation Requirements Resources
Visit the new Graduation Requirements section of the SAS website for updated
information, resources, and events: www.pdesas.org/Assessment/Graduation
Contact Us
For more information, questions, or
comments about Pennsylvania’s new
Graduation Requirements email
[email protected]