Graduation Requirements

Community Service is a graduation requirement.   

Students can start to accumulate community service hours upon completion of eighth grade.  Community service can be anything a student does to help an individual or group in the community for which they do not get paid.  Examples of community service include (but are not limited to) volunteering time to help others, youth coaching, volunteering with the elderly, helping a neighbor in need, giving blood, etc... For each activity, students need to complete a Community Service Form and return it to the High School Counseling Department.  Forms can be obtained in the School Counseling Office, the School Counseling Website, or in the School Counseling Google Classroom. 

Community Service Hours Requirement:

Class of 2026 and beyond:  30 Hours

Community Service Form 

In accordance with Pennsylvania’s Act 158, beginning with the graduating Class of 2023, students must meet one of the following graduation pathways to meet the graduation requirements.

Pathways to Graduation (Class of 2023 and beyond)

1. Keystone Proficiency Pathway: Scoring proficient or advanced on each Keystone Exam – Algebra I, Literature, and Biology.

2. Keystone Composite Pathway: Earning a satisfactory composite score of 4452 on the Algebra I, Literature, and Biology Keystone Exams. The three requirements to meet the Composite Pathway are:
   * Score Proficient or Advanced on at least one of the three Keystone Exams
   * Have no scores of Below Basic on any of the three Keystone Exams
   * Have an overall composite score of 4452 for all three Keystone Exams

3. Alternate Assessment Pathway: Successful completion of locally established grade-based requirements for academic content areas associated with each Keystone Exam on which the student did not achieve proficiency and one of the following:
   ➢ Attainment of an established score on an approved alternate assessment (SAT, PSAT, ACT, ASVAB)
       • Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT): score of 1010 • PSAT: score of 970 • ACT: score of 21
       • Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery Exam (ASVAB): Composite score of 31 or higher
   ➢ Gold Level on the ACT WorkKeys Assessment;
   ➢ Attainment of an established score on an Advanced Placement Program exam of 3 or higher in an academic content area associated with each Keystone Exam on which the student did not achieve at least a proficient score:
   ➢ Successful completion of a concurrent enrollment (College in High School) course in an academic content area associated with each Keystone Exam in which the student did not achieve at least a proficient score;
   ➢ Successful completion of a pre-apprenticeship program; or
   ➢ Acceptance in an accredited 4-year nonprofit institution of higher education and evidence of the ability to enroll in college-level coursework.

4. Evidence-Based Pathway: Successful completion of locally established grade-based requirements for academic content areas associated with each Keystone Exam on which the student did not achieve proficiency and demonstration of three pieces of evidence consistent with the student’s goals and career plans including
   ➢ One of the following:
       • Attainment of an established score on the ACT WorkKeys assessment, a SAT subject test (score of 630), or an Advanced Placement Program Exam (score of 3 or higher).
       • Acceptance to an accredited nonprofit institution of higher education other than a 4-year institution and evidence of the ability to enroll in college-level coursework;
       • Attainment of an industry-recognized credential; or
       • Successful completion of a concurrent enrollment or postsecondary course; and
   ➢ Two additional pieces of evidence, including one or more of the options listed above, or: satisfactory completion of a service learning project; attainment of a score of proficient or advanced on a Keystone Exam; a letter guaranteeing full-time employment; a certificate of successful completion of an internship or cooperative education program; or satisfactory compliance with the NCAA’s core courses for a college-bound student-athletes with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0

5. CTE Pathway: For Career and Technical Education (CTE) 

• Concentrators, successful completion of locally established grade-based requirements for academic content areas associated with each Keystone Exam on which the student did not achieve proficiency and attainment of an industry-based competency certification related to the CTE Concentrator’s program of study or demonstration of a high likelihood of success on an approved industry-based competency assessment or readiness for continued meaningful engagement in the CTE Concentrator’s program of study.
  
  

Note: Included in Act 158 is a requirement for students to pass their Keystone content course during the school year. As a result, summer school will no longer be offered for the following courses: Algebra 1, Common Core Algebra 1, Common Core Algebra 1 Part 2, Biology, Biology-College Prep, English 10 Academic or English 10 Accelerated. If a student fails one of the above courses, they will have to retake the course in a subsequent school year. 

For more detailed information on Act 158 requirements please visit the website: PDE Statewide Graduation Requirements