Milne applauds passage of graduation requirement bill

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives this week approved legislation that would provide Pennsylvania students with additional options to fulfilling high school graduation requirements beyond the Keystone Exams.

“I am pleased to support action in the House to move away from so much emphasis on a single set of exams and, instead, allow more options for students to demonstrate their skills and knowledge that will prepare them for future success,” said Milne.

Under Senate Bill 1095, students who do not score proficient on the Keystone Exams would be able to demonstrate their graduation readiness through alternative means. The bill outlines several options for assessing student performance that also give teachers more flexibility with classroom instruction time.

Some alternatives include a student’s successful completion of work-based learning programs, a service learning project, or an offer of full-time employment as evidence of postsecondary readiness.

“The education delivery is always evolving, and, from my experience as an educator, I am well aware that a student’s academic abilities are not necessarily evident on the basis of one or c a couple written tests,” observed Milne. “Pennsylvania needs to evolve and modernize its approach to education and testing, and Senate Bill 1095 is a strong step in that direction.”

As part of the bill, the Keystone Exam graduation requirement would be put on hold until the 2021-22 academic year. The alternate graduation options in Senate Bill 1095 would take effect when that delay expires.