All Pennsylvania standardized testing canceled amid coronavirus pandemic

All Pennsylvania System of State Assessment (PSSA), Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment (PASA) and Keystone exams have been canceled for the 2019-2020 school year amid the covid-19 pandemic, the state Department of Education announced Friday.

“Our school communities are operating within unprecedented conditions,” said Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera. “Schools are making extraordinary efforts to remain connected to students and families, to provide food service and to put appropriate systems in place to continue student learning. Assessments should not be the focus of school leaders right now.”

PSSA testing was scheduled to begin April 20, and Keystone exams were to begin May 11. The window for PASA tests was open, but testing was stopped March 16.

Rivera said the department is working with federal guidance and other states to advocate for flexibility. The department is requesting waivers from the U.S. Department of Education, he said, which has previously stated it will consider a “targeted 1-year waiver of the assessment requirements for those schools impacted by … extraordinary circumstances.”