School Board Policy 217: Graduation Requirements
Seniors must meet all graduation requirements and clear all school obligations to participate in senior activities and the commencement ceremony. No exceptions will be made.
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All high school students must also meet standards as required by Pennsylvania’s Act 158 of 2018 as outlined in Section H.
Arts and Humanities includes all practical arts, fine arts, world language, and nonrequired English courses.
The Health requirement is met through the Personal Wellness course.
Courses listed as “Required Courses” satisfy the English, Social Studies, Science, and Mathematics credits. Courses identified as elective courses will be applied to satisfy the Elective or Arts & Humanities requirement.
As required of Act 86, students may complete an identified computer science or information technology courses to satisfy one mathematics or science credit requirement for graduation. Students must receive advanced approval using the Computer Science Coursework Application from the Counseling Office.
Graduation Pathways/Keystone Requirement
The Keystone Exams are end-of-course assessments designed to evaluate proficiency in Pennsylvania academic standards in Algebra I, Literature (English 10), and Biology. These exams are a key component of Pennsylvania’s high school graduation requirements. Participation in the Keystone Exams is mandated by federal regulations.
Keystone Exams are administered during the spring of the year in which the student is enrolled in the corresponding course. To meet graduation requirements, students must demonstrate proficiency in all three exams. Any student that does not achieve a score of Proficient or Advanced will be scheduled to retake the exam during the next designated testing window set by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. If a Proficient or Advanced score is still not attained after the second attempt, Act 158 of 2018 and Act 6 of 2017 established additional pathways for students in Pennsylvania public high schools to meet proficiency requirements.
ACT 158: Pathways to Graduation
Pathway 1: Keystone Proficiency
Students who are proficient or advanced on all three Keystone Exams (Biology, Algebra 1, and Literature) will have met the state graduation requirement.
Minimum Proficiency Score: 1500 on each exam.
Pathway 2: Composite Score
Students who do not reach proficiency on every exam may still graduate by achieving a satisfactory composite score across the Keystone Exams.
3-Exam Composite Score: 4452 or higher
The student must be proficient in at least one exam and cannot score below basic on any remaining exams.
Pathway 3: Career & Technical Education (CTE)
Students who have not achieved proficiency in one or more Keystone Exams can still graduate by meeting the following CTE requirements:
Grade-based Requirements: Passing grade in Algebra I, Biology, and English 10.
Industry-based Competency: Attaining an industry-based competency certification related to the student’s CTE program of study or demonstrating a likelihood of success on an industry-based competency assessment (e.g., MBIT program).
Pathway 4: Alternative Assessment
Students who do not achieve proficiency in a Keystone Exam can meet graduation requirements by receiving a passing grade in Algebra I, Biology, and English 10 and achieving at least one of the following:
PSAT Composite: 970 or higher
SAT Composite: 1010 or higher
ASVAB Composite: 31 or higher
ACT Composite: 21 or higher
AP Score: Score of 3 or higher in the related Keystone content area(s)
College Acceptance: Acceptance into a 4-year college or university
Concurrent Course Completion: Successful completion of courses related to the Keystone deficiency area(s), such as AP Biology
Pre-apprenticeship Program: Successful completion of a pre-apprenticeship program
Pathway 5: Evidence-Based
Students who have not achieved proficiency in a Keystone Exam can meet graduation requirements by receiving a passing grade in Algebra I, Biology, and English 10 and submitting a combination of three pieces of evidence from the following:
List A (at least one required):
Attainment of a score of 3 or higher on any AP exam
Industry-recognized credential
Acceptance into a post-secondary institution (other than a 4-year college/university) for college-level coursework
Successful completion of any concurrent or post-secondary course
List B (no more than two):
Proficiency or advanced score on any Keystone Exam
Letter guaranteeing full-time employment or military enlistment
Successful completion of a service-learning project
Successful completion of an internship, externship, or cooperative education program
Compliance with NCAA D2 academic requirements
How Final Grades are Determined
There are four marking periods each school year. Each marking period, students receive a letter grade following the approved District Grading Scale. Each marking period is independent of the others. At the end of a course, each letter grade is converted to a grade point (quality point divided by course credit). The final calculation uses the formula listed on this page. Only the final letter grade will appear on the students transcript. If a student receives three F's in a full year class or two F's in a semester class, they automatically fail.
Final Grade Calculation
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