Bill Delaying Keystone Exam Graduation Requirement Approved By Pa. Senate

A bill that delays the requirement that students pass the Keystone exams before graduating high school was approved Monday by the Pennsylvania Senate.

Under current law, high school students beginning with the class of 2017 will have to pass Keystone Exams in three subject areas (Algebra I, Biology and Language Arts) to earn a diploma, according to information from Sen. Andy Dinniman (D., Chester) who cosponsored the bill.

The bill, which cleared the Senate Education Committee last week, delays that requirement until the 2018-2019 school year.

Senate Bill 880 passed unanimously.

“The bill aims to give the legislature additional time to resolve some of the unanticipated consequences of the Keystones implementation, including how to effectively administer and fund project-based assessments for students who do not pass the exams,” Dinniman said.