In accordance with Pennsylvania’s Act 158 of 2018, effective with the graduating class of 2023, students must meet statewide graduation requirements through the designated "graduation pathways." Act 158 allows for alternatives to Pennsylvania’s statewide requirement of attaining proficiency on the three end-of-course Keystone Exams (Algebra I, Literature, and Biology) in order for a student to meet graduation requirements.
Effective with the class of 2023, students have the option to demonstrate post-secondary preparedness through one of four additional pathways that more fully illustrate college, career, and community readiness. Keystone Exams will still continue as the statewide assessment Pennsylvania uses to comply with accountability requirements set forth in the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). However, students will no longer be required to achieve proficiency on the Keystone Exams in order to meet statewide graduation requirements even though they must take the Keystone Exams for purposes of federal accountability.
Below are the five designated graduation pathways that students can utilize to meet statewide graduation requirements.
- Keystone Proficiency
- Keystone Composite
- Career and Technical Education (CTE) Concentrator
- Alternative Assessment
- Evidence-Based
5 Pathways to Graduation
Graduation Pathways
Download a printable image of the five graduation pathways using the button below.