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Statewide High School Graduation Requirements

Senate Bill 1095, which was signed into law by Governor Tom Wolf on October 24, 2018, shifts Pennsylvania’s reliance on high stakes testing as a graduation requirement to provide alternatives for high school students to demonstrate readiness for postsecondary success. Senate Bill 1095 expands the options for students to demonstrate postsecondary readiness using four additional pathways that more fully illustrate college, career, and community readiness.

The statewide graduation requirement takes effect for the graduating class of 2023. 

Students can meet the statewide graduation requirement by:

  • Scoring proficient or advanced on each Keystone Exam - Algebra I, Literature, and Biology. 

  • Earning a satisfactory composite score, determined by PDE, on the Algebra I, Literature, and Biology Keystone Exams. 

  • Earning a passing grade on the courses associated with each Keystone Exam, and satisfactorily complete one of the following: an alternative assessment (SAT, PSAT, ACT, ASVAB, Gold Level ACT WorkKeys), advanced coursework (AP, IB, concurrent enrollment courses), pre-apprenticeship, or acceptance in a 4-year nonprofit institution of higher education for college-level coursework.

  • Earning a passing grade on the courses associated with each Keystone Exam, and pass the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI) or the National Institute of Metalworking Skills (NIMS) assessment in an approved Career and Technical Education concentration.

  • Earning a passing grade on the courses associated with each Keystone Exam, and demonstrating readiness for postsecondary engagement through three pieces of evidence from the student’s career portfolio aligned to student goals and career plan. Examples of evidence will include ACT WorkKeys, SAT Subject tests, AP, IB and concurrent coursework, higher education acceptance, community learning project, completion of an internship, externship or co-op or full-time employment.

Additional information regarding statewide high school graduation requirements can be accessed here.