Update on Keystone Exams
Pennsylvania's largest teachers' union and the state PTA are part of a group that's promoting an alternative to the graduation competency tests being considered by the State Board of Education.
The Coalition for Effective and Responsible Testing outlined a plan today that it said would measure student performance more effectively and wouldn't necessarily prevent failing students from graduating.
The coalition's plan would focus on testing students at the time they take a subject, not years later.
Members of the coalition say a valid assessment shouldn't depend on a single test score.
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HARRISBURG – Senator Jeffrey E. Piccola (R-15), Chairman of the Education Committee, released the following statement today reacting to the Pennsylvania State Education Association and various other organizations unveiling of the "Keystone Exams 2.0," an alternative plan to the Keystone Exams, which was proposed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Pennsylvania School Boards Association last month.
"I applaud PSEA and the other stakeholders for coming to the table and taking this step in proposing another plan for the Legislature’s consideration. Today’s announcement marks another positive development in the conversation and ongoing debate to enact a system of strengthened assessments that can be supported by everyone including the Legislature, the Department, and all of our education advocacy groups."
"Not only is this latest proposal a step in the right direction, but it represents what I have been stating from day one—instituting a rigorous statewide high school exam must have legislative buy-in. Although I don’t find the substance necessarily rigorous enough within this alternative proposal, I recognize that it is the result of many collective parties working together to propose high school graduation requirements and more measurable standards of student performance."
"In recent months, my Committee held a public hearing to further engage everyone in the dialogue on these issues. The hearing was very productive and certainly has proven to set the tone for these conversations as support continues to grow for increased standards and assessments on our students."
"In the end, we must thoroughly consider all of the proposals before us in an effort to increase accountability on our students and educators. It is the students and the competitive edge of our future workforce that need to be our driving interests. We don’t want our children left behind in this very competitive global economy, and we must ensure that when a student graduates from a Pennsylvania high school the diploma signifies that they are ready to compete and/or enter postsecondary education."
The Coalition for Effective and Responsible Testing outlined a plan today that it said would measure student performance more effectively and wouldn't necessarily prevent failing students from graduating.
The coalition's plan would focus on testing students at the time they take a subject, not years later.
Members of the coalition say a valid assessment shouldn't depend on a single test score.
~~~~
HARRISBURG – Senator Jeffrey E. Piccola (R-15), Chairman of the Education Committee, released the following statement today reacting to the Pennsylvania State Education Association and various other organizations unveiling of the "Keystone Exams 2.0," an alternative plan to the Keystone Exams, which was proposed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Pennsylvania School Boards Association last month.
"I applaud PSEA and the other stakeholders for coming to the table and taking this step in proposing another plan for the Legislature’s consideration. Today’s announcement marks another positive development in the conversation and ongoing debate to enact a system of strengthened assessments that can be supported by everyone including the Legislature, the Department, and all of our education advocacy groups."
"Not only is this latest proposal a step in the right direction, but it represents what I have been stating from day one—instituting a rigorous statewide high school exam must have legislative buy-in. Although I don’t find the substance necessarily rigorous enough within this alternative proposal, I recognize that it is the result of many collective parties working together to propose high school graduation requirements and more measurable standards of student performance."
"In recent months, my Committee held a public hearing to further engage everyone in the dialogue on these issues. The hearing was very productive and certainly has proven to set the tone for these conversations as support continues to grow for increased standards and assessments on our students."
"In the end, we must thoroughly consider all of the proposals before us in an effort to increase accountability on our students and educators. It is the students and the competitive edge of our future workforce that need to be our driving interests. We don’t want our children left behind in this very competitive global economy, and we must ensure that when a student graduates from a Pennsylvania high school the diploma signifies that they are ready to compete and/or enter postsecondary education."
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