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Pleasant Valley High staff outline keystone-based graduation pathways and push for higher student participation
Summary
High school administrators told the board that nearly one-quarter of the Class of 2024 did not attempt any Keystone end‑of‑course exams; they outlined outreach, remediation and scheduling changes intended to raise participation and proficiency and discussed whether participation should be required to walk at graduation.
High school staff told the Pleasant Valley School Board on March 13 that the district can increase students’ chances of meeting state graduation pathways by raising Keystone exam participation and by expanding targeted remediation, especially for students in alternative programs.
Why it matters: Pennsylvania’s Act 158 requires districts to verify students meet one of five postsecondary-preparedness pathways. Keystones (Algebra I, Biology, Literature) are central to two of the pathways; staff told the board that incomplete participation limits students’ eligibility for the two most-direct Keystone pathways and often forces reliance on alternative pathways later in senior year.
What the data show Presenters said they reviewed the Class of 2024 and found that about 22% of seniors did not take any Keystone exams. Staff flagged two groups with especially low participation: students in the district’s cyber program (Bears Academy) and a subset of students with individualized education programs. Presenters also said 45 seniors had passed one or two Keystone exams but never attempted all three, and 69 seniors attempted all three but did not reach proficiency.
Planned changes and interventions High school administrators described a two-track approach: increase participation and expand remediation. - Participation: staff plan to hold parent information sessions (in person and online), use daily announcements and phone outreach during testing windows, and offer transportation and lunches to encourage Bears Academy and other off-site students to test onsite. They will also use NWEA and other interim data to flag students earlier. - Remediation and retesting: the district will require or strongly encourage any student who is nonproficient to enroll in a teacher-led remediation course (not a solely computer‑based module). Staff said they will be more aggressive about retesting windows — for example, using winter testing sessions for quicker retakes rather than waiting until spring or junior year.
Graduation and “walking” at commencement Presenters proposed a district policy change: to qualify for the ceremonial act of walking at graduation, students would need to have attempted the Keystone exams (participation), even if they later graduate via an alternative pathway (CTE concentrator, industry credential, SAT/ACT/prescribed alternative assessments, or an artifacts-based review). The suggested change drew immediate concern from several board members and members of the public, who said the rule could feel punitive to students in CTE, cyber programs or other valid pathways. Board members asked staff for comparative data from neighboring districts.
Board reaction and next steps Board members asked for more granular data (how many nonparticipants were MCTI/CTE students, how many were Bears Academy or home-schooled) and comparisons with other Monroe County districts. Staff said they would share the slides and that they had already contacted other county administrators to learn what those districts are doing. The board did not adopt a new policy at the March 13 meeting; members asked staff to return with additional data and with suggested implementation language for any change tied to “walking.”
Ending Administrators said they will present a more detailed plan and the comparative data requested by the board before any formal change to ceremony or graduation policy.
