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Keystone Exams Could Be Put To Vote Today In Pennsylvania Senate

HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) -- The Pennsylvania Senate could vote today to delay the controversial Keystone Exams, and force the Department of Education to come up with a new high school graduation requirement.

The State House and Senate both voted unanimously last summer to delay implementation of the Keystone Exams, the tests required for students to graduate high school in Pennsylvania. The tests have been under fire for years because of the expense and the additional staffing required to get students prepared. Jim Scanlon, superintendent of the West Chester Area School District, explains why the delay has been delayed.

"It's been held up because of the budget," Scanlon says. "School districts have to keep going, we've got to keep teaching students and get them prepared to graduate. And none of us want any of our kids not to graduate because of a bad law, but until it's officially delayed, we have to keep moving forward as if it's still a graduation requirement."

Scanlon says the Keystones are currently part of the School Code bill which is part of the state budget, which is stagnating in Harrisburg. He says the Senate wants to pull it out of there and vote on it separately.

 

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