PSSA and KEYSTONE Exam
Policies and Procedures
Electronic Devices:
- Students will be advised through oral and written communication that electronic devices, other than school issued calculators (when appropriate according to testing guidelines and procedures from PDE), are not permitted in testing areas.
Cell phones—All cell phones, smart phones, and other prohibited electronic devices are to be collected asstudents enter the testing site. Thus, school districts and schools should inform parents and students beforetesting that cell phones are not allowed during the test administration.
The consequences for using and/or having a cell phone or other electronic device during the test administrationincludes:
a Do Not Score Label will be placed on the student’s answer booklet and the student must retake the exam
during the same administration testing window in order to receive a score;
the phone or electronic device will be confiscated and in the presence of the parent or guardian, the cell
phone or other electronic device will be viewed to ensure that no information or material regarding the
assessment is present;
the student will be disciplined and that discipline will vary depending on whether test material has been
compromised; and
the parents and students may be responsible for the cost of replacing compromised items.
District personnel, school personnel, and students must understand that the integrity of the test cannot be compromised.
Use of Calculators—Except for the Non-Calculator section of the PSSA Mathematics assessment, calculators
may be used for any part of the following assessments as long as the Pennsylvania Calculator Policy is followed:
Remaining sections of the PSSA Mathematics assessment
Algebra I Keystone Exam
PSSA Science assessment
Biology Keystone Exam
PENNSYLVANIA CALCULATOR POLICY
If a student chooses to use a calculator (other than the online options) on the Keystone Exams or PSSA in sections where the calculator is permitted, the student must adhere to the guidelines listed below. It is incumbent upon the School Assessment Coordinator to ensure that all calculator policies are implemented and followed,
including making sure calculators have no programs stored in their memory other than those that are factory installed. Please note that if a student wants to restore the deleted programs, the student will need to back up these programs prior to the assessment. In addition, the memory must be cleared on the calculator following each test session of the assessment.
The following are not permitted for the PSSA or Keystone Exams:
Noncalculators such as cell phones, smart phones, PDAs, laptops, tablets, pocket organizers, etc.
Calculators with infrared, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or other beaming or wireless capabilities, unless the beaming or wireless capabilities are disabled
Calculators with QWERTY keyboards, typewriter-like keyboards, or keypads (e.g., Dvorak)
Calculators with built-in Computer Algebra Systems (CAS)
Calculators that make noise, have paper tape, need to be plugged in, or talk; these specific calculators can only be used as a required accommodation as stated in the Accommodations Guidelines
Calculators shared by students during a test session
Any and all nonfactory programs or information stored in the calculator
This calculator policy is intended to be a general description of what is not allowed. It is not meant to be anexhaustive list of specific calculators, devices, or technologies that cannot be used on the PSSA or Keystone Exams. Please note that as technology changes, this policy may also change.
Use of Dictionaries, Thesauruses, Spell- or Grammar-Checkers—Make sure all Test Administrators and
Proctors are aware that the use of these items is not permitted on any Keystone Exam.
Note: As an accommodation for English Language Learners, word-to-word dictionaries that translate a native language to English (or English to a native language) without definitions or pictures are allowed on the Algebra I and Biology exams only.
Breaks:
- Students will not be allowed to leave the testing area until they have completed their assigned test. Students who become physically ill, will be escorted to the nurse by school staff and have their test collected by the proctor and immediately turned over to the School Assessment Coordinator.
Disruptions:
- In the event of an emergency or unexpected disruption, the testing proctor will collect all materials and hold them in their possession or secure under lock and key in an area that has documented access.