22 Pa. Code § 4.24 - High school graduation requirements
(a)
Approval. High school
graduation requirements and revisions to them shall be approved by a school
entity's governing board no later than the beginning of the 2020-2021 school
year, and a copy of the requirements shall be published and distributed to
students, parents and guardians. Copies of the requirements also shall be
available in each school building or on each school entity's publicly
accessible web site. Changes to high school graduation requirements shall be
published and distributed to students, parents and guardians and made available
in each school building or on each school entity's publicly accessible web site
immediately following approval by the governing board.
(b)
Requirements through the
2021-2022 school year. Each school district, charter school (including
a cyber charter school) and ACTS, if applicable, shall specify requirements for
graduation. Requirements through the 2021-2022 school year must include course
completion and grades, completion of a culminating project, results of local
assessments aligned with the academic standards and a demonstration of
proficiency in English Language Arts and Mathematics on either the State
assessments administered in grade 11 or 12 or local assessments aligned with
academic standards and State assessments under §
4.52 (relating to local assessment
system) at the proficient level or better to graduate. The purpose of the
culminating project is to assure that students are able to apply, analyze,
synthesize and evaluate information and communicate significant knowledge and
understanding.
(c)
Requirements beginning in the 2022-2023 school year.
(1)
General. Beginning in
the 2022-2023 school year, each school district, charter school (including a
cyber charter school) and ACTS, if applicable, shall adopt and implement
requirements for high school graduation that, at minimum, include:
(i) Course completion and grades.
(ii) Demonstration of proficiency as
determined by the school district, charter school (including a cyber charter
school) or ACTS, if applicable, in each of the State academic standards not
assessed by a State assessment under §
4.51, §
4.51a or §
4.51b (relating to State
assessment system; Pennsylvania System of School Assessment; and Keystone
Exams).
(iii) Demonstration of
proficiency or above in each of the following State academic standards: English
Language Arts and Mathematics (Appendix A-2); through June 30, 2025, Science
and Technology and Environment and Ecology (Appendix B), and, beginning July 1,
2025, Science, Environment and Ecology (Appendix B-1), as determined through
any one or a combination of the following:
(A)
Completion of secondary level coursework in English Language Arts (Literature),
Algebra I and Biology in which a student demonstrates proficiency on the
associated Keystone Exam or through a pathway established in section 121(c) or
(c.1) of the School Code (24 P.S. §§
1-121(c) or (c.1)).
(I) A school district, ACTS or charter
school, including a cyber charter school, shall allow a student to take a
Keystone Exam prior to taking the course associated with the exam's content
provided that the student achieved a score of advanced on the most recent
associated PSSA assessment administered to the student.
(II) A school district, ACTS or charter
school, including a cyber charter school, shall allow a student who transfers
from another state to take a Keystone Exam prior to taking the course
associated with the exam's content, provided that the student achieved a score
comparable to the PSSA's advanced performance level on a comparable assessment
administered by another state.
(III) A school district, ACTS or charter
school, including a cyber charter school, may allow a student who scores at the
advanced level on a particular Keystone Exam prior to taking the course to be
granted course credit for the course without having to complete the
course.
(B) Locally
approved and administered assessments, which shall be independently and
objectively validated once every 6 years. Local assessments may be designed to
include a variety of assessment strategies listed in §
4.52(c) and may
include the use of one or more Keystone Exams. Except for replacement of
individual test items that have a similar level of difficulty, a new validation
is required for any material changes to the assessment. Validated local
assessments must meet the following standards:
(I) Alignment with the following State
academic standards: English Language Arts (Literature and Composition);
Mathematics (Algebra I), and Science and Environment and Ecology
(Biology).
(II) Performance level
expectations and descriptors that describe the level of performance required to
achieve proficiency comparable to that used for the Keystone Exams.
(III) Administration of the local assessment
to all students, as a requirement for graduation, except for those exempted by
their individualized education program under subsection (d), regarding special
education students, or gifted individualized education plan as provided in §
16.32 (relating to GIEP).
(IV)
Subject to appropriations provided by law, the cost to validate local
assessments shall be evenly divided between the school district, ACTS or
charter school, including a cyber charter school, and the Department. If the
Department does not provide sufficient funding to meet its share, local
assessments submitted for validation shall be deemed valid until a new
validation is due to the Department.
(V) The Department will establish a list of
entities approved to perform independent validations of local assessments in
consultation with the Local Assessment Validation Advisory Committee as
provided in § 4.52(f).
(VI) School
boards shall only approve assessments that have been determined to meet the
requirements of this subsection by an approved entity performing the
independent validation. If a school district, ACTS or charter school, including
a cyber charter school, uses a local assessment that has not been independently
validated, the Secretary will direct the school entity to discontinue its use
until the local assessment is approved through independent validation by an
approved entity.
(d)
Special education
students. Children with disabilities who satisfactorily complete a
special education program developed by an Individualized Education Program team
under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and this part shall be
granted and issued a regular high school diploma by the school district of
residence, charter school (including cyber charter school) or ACTS, if
applicable. This subsection applies if the special education program of a child
with a disability does not otherwise meet the requirements of this
chapter.
(e)
Demonstration
of proficiency. For purposes of this section, a student shall be
deemed proficient in the State-assessed standards whenever the student
demonstrates proficiency through any of the options in subsection (c)(1)(iii),
regardless of the student's grade level or age.
(f)
Transcripts. The
performance level demonstrated by a student in each of the state academic
standards, including the highest performance level demonstrated by a student on
the associated Keystone Exam, may be included on a student's transcript as
determined by each school entity.
(g)
Release of scores. This
section does not allow for the release of individual student PSSA or Keystone
Exam scores to the Department or other Commonwealth entities in accordance with
§ 4.51(f) and (g).
(h)
Supplemental instruction. A student who does not demonstrate
proficiency on a Keystone Exam or a locally validated assessment specified in
subsection (c) may be offered supplemental instructional support by the
student's school district, ACTS or charter school, including a cyber charter
school consistent with section 121(c.4) of the School Code.
(i)
Out-of-state transfers.
A school district, ACTS or charter school, including a cyber charter school,
shall determine whether a student who transfers from an out-of-State school
having demonstrated proficiency in coursework and assessments aligned with the
academic standards assessed by each Keystone Exam may satisfy the requirements
of subsection (c).
(j)
Waiver of testing and accountability requirements. In any year
in which the Federal government has waived the testing and accountability
requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the
Every Student Succeeds Act (20 U.S.C.A. §§
6301-7981), a
student shall not be required to take a Keystone Exam for the purpose
established in this section and shall be deemed proficient for purposes of this
section by meeting the requirements set forth in section 121.1 of the School
Code (24 P.S. §
1-121.1).
Notes
The provisions of this § 4.24 amended under section 32 of the act of June 29, 2002 (P.L. 524, No. 88); and sections 121, 2603-B and 2604-B of the Public School Code of 1949 (24 P.S. §§ 1-121, 26-2603-B and 26-2604-B).
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