School District of Lancaster students who are exempt from taking the Keystone Exams due to a waiver issued in the spring may still take the exams to ensure they graduate on time.
Based on the Keystone Exams Waiver published in the spring of 2020, students who were in a Keystone-related course during the 2019-20 school year were not required to complete the respective Keystone Exam in May. These students remain exempt from those Keystone Exam(s) through the remainder of their schooling.
There is no negative impact for non-participation. However, the district must provide the opportunity for students to complete the Keystone Exam if they wish to use this toward their graduation requirements, currently slated to begin with the Class of 2022.
Keystone Exams are not the only pathway to graduation, even under the new requirements. Students who would have met the graduation requirement through pathways 1 or 2 will likely meet the requirement through one of the other existing pathways below:
- Keystone Proficiency Pathway
- Keystone Composite Pathway
- Alternate Assessment Pathway
- Evidence-Based Pathway
- Career and Technical Education Pathway
Based on this information, we will be implementing an “opt-in” approach for the Spring 2020 testers by offering the options to students but not requiring all students to test. Families will receive specific information about the tests that were scheduled and be provided with instructions for informing the respective school if they wish for their student(s) to test.
The testing window will run from January 11 through January 29. Review materials would be provided to students who wish to test.