Tredyffrin/Easttown SD Hopes To Nix State Exam Results From Graduation Requirements

The Tredyffrin/Easttown School District unanimously approved a resolution that will send recommendations regarding graduation requirements to state legislators at it's Sept. 26 Board of Directors meeting.

Board of Directors President Doug Carlson said the recommendation will be passed on to local state representatives, senators, Gov. Tom Wolf's office, and the Pennsylvania school districts.

The district is calling on the legislature to find ways to "completely and permanently uncouple" the state's standardized tests, the Keystone Exams, from graduation requirements, according to the board's resolution. The resolution also calls on legislators to reduce the amount of required standardized testing

The district is also calling on legislators to provide relief to students who are deemed proficient through various assessments other than standardized testing as recommended by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Director of Curriculum, Instruction, Staff Development and Planning Dr. Wendy Towle said doing so would eliminate a "cycle of remediation and retesting" for students. The resolution says standardized testing negatively impact students who have special needs and excel when assessed in non-standardized ways and also says that tying the Keystone Exams to graduation requirements hinders further student learning.

Another aspect of the district touched on was the current moratorium on Keystone Exams' influence on graduating, saying the moratorium only works to benefit the next three graduating classes, with the final class being the Class of 2019.

The distirct hopes to maintain more local control of graduation requirements through the resolution.

Read the entire resolution here. You can also watch the board meeting here; the resolution discussion begins at the one hour and 20 second mark.

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