ACT 158 – Pennsylvania Graduation Requirements

For students graduating in 2023 and beyond, the following 5 Pathways to Graduation exist to meet the Pennsylvania statewide graduation requirement:

How to check a student's progress towards Act 158

To check a student's progress towards Act 158 login to the Skyward website and click Endorsements on left menu. The 1st pathway that is met will be displayed under the Declared section. To check progress towards any pathway select the "Pathways to Graduation" endorsement and pick the option you would like to see the progress for.

Pathway Options

Option 1: Keystone Proficiency

A student must score Proficient or Advanced on each of the Keystone Exams – Algebra I, Literature, & Biology

Option 2: Keystone Composite Score

A student must earn a composite score of 4452 or higher on the Algebra I, Literature, & Biology Keystone Exams – the student must achieve Proficient or Advanced on at least one of the three exams and must not have a Below Basic score on the other two
OR Earning a satisfactory composite score of 2939 or greater for two of the three Keystone Exams, in addition to an earned Non-Numeric Proficient score from the 2020 COVID cancellation year.

Option 3: Career & Technical Education Concentrator Pathway

Students must complete locally established grade-based requirements for each Keystone Exam for which the student did not meet proficiency (the student must pass the class associated with the Keystone exam) AND

Attain an Industry-Based Competency Certification related to their CTE program of study;
Demonstrate a high likelihood of success on an approved industry-based competency assessment; or
Demonstrate readiness for continued meaningful engagement in the CTE program of study.

Option 4: Alternate Assessment Pathway

Attainment of an established score on an approved alternate assessment

SAT – score of 1010
PSAT – score of 970
ACT – score of 21
ASVAB – the minimum score to gain admittance to a branch of the armed services in the year the student graduates

Attainment of a score of 3 or higher on an AP test associated with each Keystone Exam on which the student did not achieve a Proficient score:

Successful completion of a College-in-High School course in the academic content associated with each Keystone Exam in which the student did not achieve proficiency;
Successful completion of a concurrent enrollment or postsecondary course (for the subject area(s) where the student did not meet proficiency);
Successful completion of a pre-apprenticeship program; or
Acceptance into an accredited 4-year nonprofit institution of higher education and evidence of the ability to enroll in college-level coursework.

Option 5: Evidence-Based Pathway

Students must complete locally established grade-based requirements for academic content in areas associated with each Keystone Exam for which the student did not meet proficiency (the student must pass the class associated with the Keystone exam) AND complete three pieces of evidence consistent with the student’s goals and career plans:

One or More piece(s) of evidence from this group:

Attainment of an AP score of 3 or higher on any AP Exam;
Acceptance into an accredited nonprofit, other than 4-year institution of higher education and evidence of the ability to enroll in college-level coursework;
Attainment of an Industry-Recognized Credential; or
Successful completion of a concurrent enrollment or postsecondary course (for the subject area(s) where the student did not meet proficiency);

Two additional pieces of evidence from this group:

Attainment of Proficient or Advanced on any Keystone Exam;
Successful completion of a service-learning project;
Receiving a letter guaranteeing full-time employment or military enlistment;
Completion of an internship, externship, or cooperative education program; or
Complying with NCAA Division II academic requirements.