Keystone Exams: The Repeating Story

In May when students were completing days of Keystone exams, we heard from some parents and students about how discouraging it was to retake one or more Keystone exam. We thought we should reach out to students and ask them to share their experiences, and more importantly ask their recommendations for future improvements.

In order to help see that these students aren't alone or are not good students, please see the district's performance on the Keystones. A slide show is available here with a deeper analysis than the summary responses below.

• On the Algebra Keystone CASD showed a decline in those achieving proficient or advanced since 2014, and a growing number of students falling below basic. In 2018, results fell below the benchmarks for the state.
• On the Biology Keystone CASD’s results initially improved from 2014-2016, and then began to decline. Today’s results are relatively in line with 2015. In 2018, results fell below the benchmarks for the state.
• On the Literature Keystone, CASD’s results remained fairly stable from 2014-2018 with the exception of an increasing number of students testing below basic, especially in 2018. In 2018, results fell below the benchmarks for the state.

"I had to take the Algebra keystones again.

I didn’t have an algebra teacher for the majority of the school year last year. We had substitutes who didn’t even know algebra. They gave us worksheets to do without teaching us how to do them. How were they supposed to teach us if they don’t know algebra?

The school keeps making us take it [the keystone exam and we still don’t know algebra] so how are we going to take it if we still don’t know how to do it [the math]. It’s not fair to us as students when we go to take the test and we still don’t know how to take it.

That’s not good for us. Not knowing algebra made me feel mad because they kept giving us work and I didn’t know how to do the work. They should have given us an option to come after school for a program to help us with this subject."

-Quadir Jacobs, a junior

"I am one of the many students who had to retake keystones this year. Taking the keystones last year was difficult because we didn’t  get a chance to prepare for everything in the keystones. The students should be able to have a good understanding of what is going to be presented in the keystones. It’s very hard to study the material when you have no idea what will be provided. Also I was in academic math last year, and some of the questions were for the higher math classes. Unfortunately, I failed and had to take them again.

Also I failed by biology keystones. This year the sophomores had to take chemistry, which has nothing to do with biology. But, I was in TCHS so I didn’t have enough credits for all my core classes and I didn’t have a science. It’s expected for me to take biology keystones, even though I failed them last year, and I have no bio classes this year. Our graduating class has to pass all of their keystones in order to graduate. I’m being forced to retake this test until I pass with no help and preparation. It’s not fair that students have to scramble to study, and they have no idea what to expect. [Note: the state has removed the requirement for the class of 2020."

-D’asia James, a junior

"I took my first Keystone freshman year and the reason I believe I failed it was because the math class I was in, academic algebra 1, didn’t exactly prepare me for the test. After finding out I had failed the test I was a little confused especially because I would perform good on other standardized mathematics tests. The year after I was in academic geometry and failed again. I was not at all prepared for that test. When I did honors algebra 2 my junior year I performed better, but still failed. I believe that being in a higher level class allowed me to perform better, but it was also the teaching style, I don’t believe CPM helped me at all in my high school career especially because I never actually passed the Algebra Keystone. Due to it not being a requirement to graduate, I didn’t have to retake it again my senior year.

I believe that the district should take the keystones more seriously because it is a direct reflection of their system of education. In doing so Coatesville should evaluate the CPM curriculum more and determine if it is preparing its students for standardized testing."

 - Maleena Seymour, 2019 graduate

"I had to retake my algebra keystones twice. Only on the third time had I passed! I got the same score twice; a 1496. so, in short, I was four points off from passing. twice, but then I finally passed with a 1536 after studying for days on end. I feel as though CPM did NOT prepare me for these tests. I worry about the upcoming SAT tests and the lack of preparedness due to CPM. The lack of preparedness for the test going in to it made me feel embarrassed and uneducated. In all fairness, we were prepared for the test but in the complete wrong areas in which we were tested! The district, in turn, could have emphasized more ways to study for the test, rather than the importance of the test."

- Ryan, a junior

"I️ graduated in 2017. When I️ was in 10th grade I️ had biology but my teacher had left in the middle of the year and didn’t return for a few months. Throughout the time he was gone we were never given a real substitute who had knowledge on the subject. We had a different substitute every week or two. Another biology teacher offered to come in and work with us because they never found us a substitute. I️ ended up failing the biology keystones.

My 11th grade year I was expecting to have a remediation course. I never received that course but was scheduled to retake the biology keystones that fall. My grandmother had been contacting Dr. Taschner for months about this and she was “never in the office” when my grandmother called. When it came time to retake the keystones I refused to take them because I was being SET UP TO FAIL. This was all during the time that we needed to pass the keystones in order to graduate. By the second marking period we found out we wouldn’t need to pass them to graduate. I lucked out but I️ know many students are facing the same problems of administration not responding to issues, ignoring the community, or giving desultory excuses."

-Cora Glass, 2017 graduate