The High School Keystone Exams: Not Ready for Graduation

By Rep. Duane D. Milne, 167th Legislative District

As the 2013-14 school year ends, and we look forward to 2014-15, I am calling on my fellow citizens to join me in demanding a halt to the implementation of the Keystone Exams as proposed.

In short: the Keystone Exams, if adopted as is, will require Pennsylvania high school students in general to take and pass state-based standardized tests in certain subjects in order to graduate from their local high school.  That is, these state tests can effectively override the graduation standards and student evaluations (i.e., “grades”) as set, monitored and implemented by local communities via their locally-elected school boards and local teachers and administrators.  To put it bluntly: the general rule will be that your children or grandchildren are not going to receive their high school diploma without passing these state tests.

My objection to this “reform” of education is based on several considerations.  This approach to education is an unrealistic and unfair evaluation of students’ overall academic career. Single tests should not be the determinant as to whether a high school diploma has been earned.  I say that as someone who thinks there is a time and place for so-called “high stakes” exams, for various further educational and/or career opportunities individuals might pursue in their lives, but ascertaining “worthiness” for a high school diploma is not such circumstances.

The negative and unnecessary impacts on school curricula and thriving local schools are real and profound.  The reality is that the official and unofficial ways that schools respond (understandably from a “rational actor” perspective) in their efforts to “pass” standardized tests subverts too much of the overall education process to test preparation.  Districts in our area report that upwards of one-half of classroom time is effectively about activities related to test preparation at some level. 

A full-scale implementation of Keystone Exams will serve as yet another nail in the coffin of the liberal arts model of education.  The logistical and pedagogical outcome of more standardized testing atop of the already-existing ones is an education model in which the range of topics taught, how they are taught, and what is the “right” answers become much more narrow and prescriptive.  This dulls the critical thinking, the creativity and the talents of students and teachers alike. Let’s remember too, the students of today are, among other life roles, the employees and leaders of society for tomorrow.

Exacerbating the costs to education per se because of the Keystone Exams, there also would be direct dollar costs to the state and local school districts.  Districts and their local taxpayers will be confronted with a need to hire additional teachers and staff to deal with operational realities in several manners because of the imposition of these exams upon local districts.  These exams as is will end up triggering millions of dollars in spending to put in place and to operate…for dubious education value and outcomes. 

Please, join me in sending back the proposed Keystone Exams for a rewrite.  As your state House representative, you know how I stand based on all of the foregoing.  The matter is currently with the state Senate, which will approve or disapprove the measure before the bill might be sent over to the state House, where I can vote on it.  Contact the state Senators and urge them to “flunk” the proposed Keystone Exams.  The time to act is now.