All students are required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) to take the Keystone Exams in the areas of Algebra, Literature, and Biology for federal accountability. These exams are end-of-course tests designed to measure proficiency on state standards in three content areas. Please reference PDE’s Pathways to Graduation for more information.
Students identified to take one, two, or three Keystone Exams during the 2024 spring Keystone Test Window may be included for any of the following reasons:
- Your student completed a Keystone “trigger” course(s) (Algebra I, Biology, and/or English 10).
- Your student did not achieve proficiency on a prior Keystone exam(s) or did not provide confirmation of a proficient score from a previous school district.
- New enrollment records indicate that your student took one of the Keystone “trigger” courses in a Pennsylvania public or private school during the 2023-2024 school year or a previous school year, and has not yet taken the exam(s), or did not provide confirmation of a proficient score.
- New enrollment records indicate that your student took a similar Keystone “trigger” course from an out-of-state school during the 2023-2024 school year, or a previous school year, and has not yet taken the exam(s).
When will the Keystone Exams occur?
There are days over the summer when Keystone testing will take place at Manheim Township High School. Each exam (Algebra I, Literature, Biology) consists of two modules.
- Tuesday, July 30, 2024
- Thursday, August 1, 2024
Where do students report for testing?
Testing for all exams will occur in Convo Hall beginning promptly at 7:45 a.m.
How can my child prepare for the Keystone Exams?
- Encourage your child to take time to review the Pennsylvania Online Assessment links available for the Keystone Exams. Public access is available by using the URL available to review all state assessments, Keystone Exams, PSSA, and CDTs at https://wbte.drcedirect.com/PA/portals/pa.
- Students already have the DRC Insight application available on their iPads, look for a dark blue icon with a white circle ‘DRC INSIGHT’. The application serves as both the training and testing site.
- To access both training areas, click on the actual words ‘Online Tools Training’ below the icon and the DRC INSIGHT Online Assessments Tutorials highlighted below Online Tools Training in yellow. Additional helpful information about online tools is accessible in this Keystone Online Tools video.
- Both training links are paramount for a successful online testing experience.
Other Important Information about the Keystone Exams:
- Students must arrive on time.
- The exams will be taken on the students’ iPads. Students will need to bring their iPads fully charged on all testing days. Students should also bring their charger just in case they need to plug in.
- All students are permitted as much time as they need to complete each module.
- Students may choose to bring their own calculator (the calculator must be “cleared” before the testing session begins).
- Possession of other electronic devices (cell phones, smart watches, etc.) could result in tests being invalidated. If any test material is compromised, students/families could be responsible for the cost of replacing compromised test items.
Please note that the student who does not participate will still be required to meet one of PDE’s Pathways to Graduation. Students who do not take the Keystone Exam(s) will need to meet all of the requirements of either Pathways 3, 4, or 5 to graduate since they will not be eligible for Pathways 1 or 2.
If you or your student have any other questions or concerns about the Keystone Exams, please contact Ms. Laura Rakoczy, HS Assistant Principal at rakoczla@mtwp.net or 717-560-3097.