SR 248 — A Resolution opposing the use of the Keystone Exams as a sole requirement for graduation and calling on the Department of Education of the Commonwealth to authorize alternative requirements for graduation.

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO.

1370 PRINTER'STHE NO.GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA SENATE RESOLUTION Session of No.

1381248 THE2017 GENERALINTRODUCED ASSEMBLYBY OFEICHELBERGER PENNSYLVANIAAND SENATEDINNIMAN, DECEMBER 7, 2017 REFERRED TO EDUCATION, DECEMBER 7, 2017 A RESOLUTION SessionOpposing the use of No.the Keystone Exams for the purpose of Federal accountability without alternatives under the Commonwealth's Every Student Succeeds plan, opposing their use as a sole requirement for graduation and calling on the United States Department of Education and the Department of Pennsylvania's Every Student Succeeds plan.alternatives in WHEREAS, In December 2006, the Governor's Commission on College and Career Success issued a report detailing recommendations designed to "move Pennsylvania towards increasing the educational achievement of all of its students to meet the challenges of the 21st century economy" and proposed that all students be required to demonstrate proficiency in State standards via end of course tests;

248and 2017WHEREAS, INTRODUCEDAt BYthe EICHELBERGERtime ANDof DINNIMAN,the DECEMBERcommission's 7,report, 2017all SENATORstudents EICHELBERGER,were EDUCATION,required ASto AMENDED,take DECEMBERthe 12,11th 2017grade APennsylvania RESOLUTIONSystem Opposing the use of theSchool KeystoneAssessment Exams(PSSA) forexam, the purposescores of <--which Federalwere accountabilityused withoutto alternativesevaluate schools under the Commonwealth'srequirements Everyof StudentNo SucceedsChild plan,Left opposingBehind, theirnot useto asevaluate aindividual solestudents requirement for graduationpurposes and calling on the United States Department of Educationgraduation; and the Department of <-- Pennsylvania's Every Student Succeeds plan.

ALTERNATIVEand inWHEREAS, <--In REQUIREMENTS2012, FORthe GRADUATION.Keystone Exams were implemented as both a component of Pennsylvania's system of assessment for Federal accountability and as a high school graduation requirement, with the exams being end-of-course assessments designed to ultimately assess proficiency in numerous subjects:

WHEREAS, In December 2006, the Governor's Commission on College and Career Success issued a report detailing recommendations designed to "move Pennsylvania towards increasing the educational achievement of all of its students to meet the challenges of the 21st century economy" and proposed that all students be required to demonstrate proficiency in State standards via end of course tests;

and WHEREAS, At the time of the commission's report, all students were required to take the 11th grade Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) exam, the scores of which were used to evaluate schools under the requirements of No Child Left Behind, not to evaluate individual students for purposes of graduation, <-- UNLESS AUTHORIZED BY A SCHOOL DISTRICT;

and WHEREAS, In 2012, the Keystone Exams were implemented as both <-- a component of Pennsylvania's system of assessment for Federal accountability and as a high school graduation requirement, with the exams being end-of-course assessments designed to ultimately assess proficiency in numerous subjects:

and WHEREAS, It has been widely recognized that multiple valid 20170SR0248PN1381 - 2 - measures exist for students to demonstrate the knowledge and 20170SR0248PN1370 - 2 - skills necessary to be college and career ready, yet alternative <-- measures have not been incorporated into the State planplan; AND <-- GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL;

therefore be it RESOLVED, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania oppose the continued use of the Keystone Exams as a single high- stakes graduation requirement and urge the Department of Education of the Commonwealth to develop RECOMMEND alternative <-- assessments for Federal accountability purposes which also <-- demonstrate career or college readiness as soon as possible for <-- timely inclusion in Pennsylvania's Every Student Succeeds plan;

and be it further ANDRESOLVED, ADHEREThat TOa THEcopy FOLLOWINGof PARAMETERSthis WHICHresolution <--be PARALLELsent FEDERALto REQUIREMENTSthe INUnited THEStates INDIVIDUALSDepartment WITHof DISABILITIESEducation EDUCATIONand ACTthe (IDEA)Department ANDof THEEducation EVERYof STUDENTthe SUCCEEDSCommonwealth. ACT (ESSA):

(1)20170SR0248PN1370 THE- ASSESSMENTS3 ARE- DESIGNED TO PROVIDE ACCOMMODATIONS TO STUDENTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY ALLOWABLE IN PENNSYLVANIA ON THE PENNSYLVANIA SYSTEM OF SCHOOL ASSESSMENT AND KEYSTONE EXAMS.

(2) THE ASSESSMENTS ARE DEVELOPED TO MEET THE PRINCIPLES OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN.

(3) THE ASSESSMENTS DEMONSTRATE THAT THEY EITHER MEET THE PENNSYLVANIA CAREER EDUCATION AND WORK STANDARDS OR ARE VALID AND RELIABLE MEASURES OF THE PENNSYLVANIA CORE ACADEMIC STANDARDS IN ALGEBRA I, BIOLOGY AND ENGLISH LITERATURE AT LEVELS COMPARABLE TO THOSE CURRENTLY ASSESSED BY THE KEYSTONE EXAMS;

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be sent to the United States Department of Education and the Department of <-- 20170SR0248PN1381 - 3 - Education of the Commonwealth.

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