The online standardized test is a far cry from the paper and pencil exams that required a specific No. 2 pencil and warnings from teachers to stay within the bubble lines.
But next school year, all Pennsylvania students will use the online testing platform when taking Pennsylvania's Keystone Exams and the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment, or PSSAs. The move to the platform — which will allow for different interactive questions — was announced last year by Gov. Josh Shapiro.
In anticipation of the change, districts across the Pittsburgh region have spent the past few months working with teachers and students to get used to the platform and its online tools. Many plan to make the shift from paper and pencil to online during this spring's exams to ensure everything is in place by next year's deadline.
"It is what it is," Darin Cole, Wilkinsburg School District's assessment coordinator said of the change. "We're going to learn, we're going to manage through it and no matter what it's mandatory for next year."
In Pennsylvania, PSSA tests, given each April, began in 1992. They are taken by students in grades three through eight to assess English language arts and math. Fifth and eighth graders also take the science PSSA. Keystone Exams started in 2012 as graduation requirements. The tests, focusing on Algebra I, literature and biology, replaced the 11th grade science PSSA.
The assessments are in response to the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, which requires every state to measure performance in reading, math and science. The 2015 bill replaced the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act, which coupled standardized test scores with high-stakes decisions such as funding.
But the tests, which have roiled education discussions for years, are once again in the spotlight after states across the country, including Pennsylvania, saw scores plummet after the COVID-19 pandemic. Pennsylvania is starting to see scores slowly rebound.
Officials are now hoping the shift to online will bring several benefits to Pennsylvania districts and students, including cutting the amount of time spent on individual tests by 30 minutes, Mr. Shapiro said when announcing the change. Students taking multiple tests on several subjects, could see between 90 minutes and two hours saved.
The idea, Mr. Shapiro said, will also give teachers, who are responsible for boxing up paper tests and sending them back to the state, more classroom time.
Weadé James, senior director for K-12 policy at the Center for American Progress, an independent, nonpartisan policy institute, added the move can save money — Mr. Shapiro during his announcement said full implementation could save the state $6.5 million annually — while also providing immediate feedback to students and teachers regarding test results.
But she also laid out several challenges, including access to technology for all students, including those with disabilities. The digital divide, she said, could also be a challenge because students could have varying levels of digital literacy skills. To tackle that, Ms. James said, education officials need to provide resources and supports to students to help them navigate the platform.
"I think that it's promising if done right. ... Computer based tests certainly allows for the use of media sources and other visualizations that we haven't been able to accomplish or achieve in a paper and pencil test," Ms. James said.
HOW LOCAL DISTRICTS ARE PREPARING
By the time Ashely Duncan, Wilkinsburg's academic interventionist, finished helping the last few students log onto mock online PSSA tests one day this school year, several kids had already wrapped up their assessments, meaning they spent less than 10 minutes going through the exam.
"We are very nervous," Ms. Duncan said. "Being in the world of TikTok, everything comes fast. It's 30 second clips of things. They want to click through. It's like a videogame to them."
Since mid-February, teachers at Wilkinsburg, which educates 500 kindergarten through sixth graders, have conducted state-provided PSSA practice exams — the state also offered professional development and training sessions, along with regional support — to help students get used to the online platform.
At Wilkinsburg, the goal of using practice tests is to transfer skills students have learned on paper such as highlighting and taking time to slow down and carefully read passages to the computer screen, with the hope that they won't simply just click through the exam's questions.
This year, third graders, who are taking the PSSAs for the first time, will take the exams online. The fifth grade science exam will also be taken online. This is the first year the science exam will be taken by fifth graders. In the past it was given in fourth grade. To help with the transition, this year's exam will be administered as a census field test for all fifth graders across the state, meaning scores will not be included in local or state reporting system.
Everyone else will take a paper and pencil exam this year, including fifth graders taking the math and ELA tests.
So far, teachers — some of whom suggested that a clock should be added to each question, requiring students to remain on a webpage for a certain amount of time to ensure they've read required passages — have remained anxious about the shift, Ms. Duncan said.
At South Fayette, a district of 3,500 students, high schoolers have been taking the Keystone exams online this year, a fairly easy transition, Cristine Wagner-Deitch, director of curriculum, said because Advanced Placement and SAT tests have been online.
Third through eighth graders — aside from fifth and eighth graders taking the science PSSAs — will use paper and pencil this year because "it is a high stakes exam, meaning the results are counted for accountability for the district," Ms. Wagner-Deitch said, noting that district officials didn't want to run into technical issues during this year's tests.
Still, the district issued two benchmark tests this school year to help third through eighth graders get used to the online platform. The goal of the practice exams, Ms. Wagner-Deitch said, was to test the district's technology infrastructure. Any adjustments will be made over the summer.
Other than technology, Ms. Wagner-Deitch said, "I don't think we have any concerns."
"We understand the reason the state is moving in this direction," Ms. Wagner-Deitch said. "The reality is it's going to be significantly cheaper."
Highlands — a district serving 2,100 students from Brackenridge, Fawn, Harrison and Tarentum — has been reviewing online tools with students and holding practice sessions throughout the school year, Superintendent Monique Mawhinney said in an email.
But she has several concerns.
Some students, she said, struggle with taking online assessments "and forcing them to make the change may negatively impact their success." Now, Ms. Mawhinney said, "We will continue to provide as much practice using the online tools so that our students are prepared when it comes time to take the online assessments."
At Cornell, a district of 550 students from Coraopolis and Neville Island, students will take the exams online this year, Superintendent Aaron Thomas said. To prepare, students have taken mock tests and worked with the online tools.
The district, which already provides either iPads or Chromebooks to each student depending on their grade level, is planning to have IT available during the tests in case of any issues. Mr. Thomas said officials are worried about tech glitches on the state side as hundreds of students log on to take the exams.
He also pointed to English language learners — Cornell this year has more than 100 ELL students, the majority of whom speak Spanish or Portuguese.
"None of [the tests] are available in Portuguese. ... There is a Spanish version, but it's paper, pencil only," Mr. Thomas said. "So that could be a little cumbersome if you have so many tests that are paper, pencil, but then everything else is online."
The PDE spokesperson noted the department will begin offering online Spanish translations as the state moves to a mostly online format in spring 2026.
"We've game planned," Mr. Thomas said, "and we've implemented training. ... We'll just see how it goes in late April."
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