“Every student in a public school is required to take the Keystones,”says Ms. Gimbi, Guidance Counselor. Keystones are an end of the year exam created by Pennsylvania’s Department of Education.  The exams include: biology, algebra and literature. These tests are very important, since students are required to take and pass the examinations “Keystones were pretty easy. We took the time the study for them. My classes got me ready and I had expectations already for them because I took the PSSAs,” said Vito Biondo, senior.

Once you finish your Algebra 1 class you can take the Keystones for that section. You have to take English 10 to take that section of the test. Our school does the Keystone tests online while a lot of other schools do not. These are long tests which will take lots of concentration and hard work. If you do not pass the algebra section you will be put into a Math Essentials, same goes for Biology if you fail you will be put in a Principles of Biology class. “Overall, I thought they were easy; however, I didn’t pass  Biology on the first try. I took the Biology remedial class and that really helped,”said Keith Koppenhaver, junior.