Findings and Recommendations Pursuant to Act 1 of 2016

After reading the PDE report: Findings and Recommendations Pursuant to Act 1 of 2016, I am encouraged and infuriated. I am encouraged by the changes that are on the horizon. I am infuriated at the cost of this lesson. Common sense said the original plan would fail. Hundreds of millions of tax dollars spent on a futile plan that has ultimately failed.

Please review the report on Act 1. Some highlights include:

FINDINGS

·         Among high school graduates for 2015, barely half scored proficient on all three Keystone exams.

·         Passing high school exit exams is NOT the sole valid measure of mastery

·         Project Based Assessments (PBA) have proved to be an ineffective an inefficient strategy to demonstrate mastery of the required content.

RECOMMENDATIONS

·         Adopt and implement 4 options to demonstrate postsecondary readiness

·         Discontinue the use of PBA

·         Allow local education agencies (LEA) to determine whether or not to include Keystone exam scores on student transcripts

INTRODUCTION

·         The state level graduation requirements currently set forth in Chapter 4 of the PA Code fail to provide PA students with a sufficient number of measures to demonstrate mastery of standards-based subject matter content and readiness for postsecondary success.

·         In practice, the considerable number of students who became eligible for PBAs signaled a larger instructional challenge.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE KEYSTONES

·         Annual pass rates are below 60% across all 3 Keystone exams for more than half of all districts and charters statewide, with lower pass rates on average for students of color and economically disadvantaged students.

·         By the winter of 2015-2016, there were approximately 740,000 Keystone exam modules requiring supplemental instruction and a corresponding PBA.

·         Schools began to limit extracurricular activities and CTE program to insert remediation.

·         PDE has recognized that postsecondary success looks different for different students.

OVERARCHING RECOMMENDATIONS

·         Postsecondary success looks different for different students

·         Discontinue the use of PBAs

·         Allow LEAs to determine whether or not to include Keystone exam scores on student transcripts.

SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDED OPTIONS FOR GRADUATION

·         Option 1 = Pass the Keystone exams

·         Option 2 = Use an approved alternative assessment (SAT/ACT/AP/PSAT, IB), for those content areas where the student was not proficient

·         Option 3 = Student passed Keystone trigger course but failed Keystone exam. Student can attain Industry Based Competency Certificate (NOCTI/NIMS) or demonstrate likelihood of success on assessments by meaningful engagement in Program of Study

·         Option 4 = Student passed Keystone trigger course but failed Keystone exam. Student provides at least 3 pieces of evidence that reflect readiness for meaningful engagement consistent with a student’s career goals as represented in Career Portfolio.