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Learning Standards Standards

What does a student learn in ?

Pennsylvania writes its own academic standards rather than adopting national ones outright. The PA Core for reading, writing, and math grew out of the Common Core but was reworked by the state in 2014. Science was rewritten more recently as STEELS, which treats science as something students do at a lab bench, not something they read in a textbook. Social studies still runs on a framework last revised in 2002, with a refresh underway.

  • Pennsylvania Department of Education — Arts (NCAS-aligned)
  • Pennsylvania Department of Education — PA Academic Standards 13.1-13.4: Career Education and Work
  • Pennsylvania Department of Education — Computer Science (K-12 CS-aligned)
  • Pennsylvania Department of Education — PA Academic Standards 10.1/10.2/10.3: Health, Safety, and Physical Education
  • Pennsylvania Department of Education — PA Academic Standards 10.4/10.5: Physical Education
  • Pennsylvania Department of Education — SEL (CASEL-aligned)
  • Pennsylvania Department of Education — World Languages (ACTFL-aligned)
Source: Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Core Standards
The shape of K-12
A plain-language read of how the state runs school.
What students learn
Reading and math follow PA Core from kindergarten through high school, with math moving into a traditional Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II sequence in the upper grades. Science under STEELS asks students to plan investigations, work with data, and explain what they find, starting in the earliest grades. The arts, world languages, and physical education each follow national professional frameworks adapted by the state.
How students are measured
The main spring test is the PSSA, taken in grades 3 through 8 for reading and math, with science added in grades 4 and 8. High school students sit the Keystone Exams in Algebra I, Biology, and Literature at the end of those courses, and passing them is one route to a diploma under Act 158. A small sample of fourth, eighth, and twelfth graders also take NAEP in winter, which is used to compare states rather than grade individual schools.
Frameworks adopted, by subject
The standards documents the state writes against in each subject.
Subject Framework Adopted Source
English Language Arts
Pennsylvania Core Standards
2014View
Mathematics
Pennsylvania Core Standards
2014View
Science
Pennsylvania Core Standards
2022View
Social Studies
Pennsylvania Core Standards
2002View
Computer Science & Digital Fluency
Pennsylvania Department of Education — Computer Science (K-12 CS-aligned)K-12 CS Framework-aligned
2016View
Arts: Visual Arts
Pennsylvania Department of Education — Arts (NCAS-aligned)NCAS-aligned
2014View
Arts: Dance
Pennsylvania Department of Education — Arts (NCAS-aligned)NCAS-aligned
2014View
Arts: Media Arts
Pennsylvania Department of Education — Arts (NCAS-aligned)NCAS-aligned
2014View
Arts: Music
Pennsylvania Department of Education — Arts (NCAS-aligned)NCAS-aligned
2014View
Arts: Theatre
Pennsylvania Department of Education — Arts (NCAS-aligned)NCAS-aligned
2014View
World Languages
Pennsylvania Department of Education — World Languages (ACTFL-aligned)ACTFL-aligned
2015View
Physical Education
Pennsylvania Department of Education — PA Academic Standards 10.4/10.5: Physical EducationSHAPE-aligned
2024View
Health Education
Pennsylvania Department of Education — PA Academic Standards 10.1/10.2/10.3: Health, Safety, and Physical EducationNHES-aligned
2022View
Career Development & Occupational Studies
Pennsylvania Department of Education — PA Academic Standards 13.1-13.4: Career Education and WorkCCTC-aligned
2012View
Social Emotional Learning
Pennsylvania Department of Education — SEL (CASEL-aligned)CASEL-aligned
2020View
Assessments
The tests students take across K-12, grouped by purpose.

Other

Tests that do not fit the buckets above.

State Summative

PSSA ELA (Grades 3-8)

PSSA ELA is the spring summative test in reading and writing for grades 3 through 8. Students answer multiple-choice and constructed-response items aligned to PA Core ELA.

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
State Summative

PSSA Mathematics (Grades 3-8)

PSSA Mathematics is the spring summative math test for grades 3 through 8, aligned to PA Core Math.

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
State Summative

PSSA Science (Grade 4)

PSSA Science is the grade 4 spring science test, aligned to PA Standards (transitioning to STEELS).

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
State Summative

PSSA Science (Grade 8)

PSSA Science is the grade 8 spring science test, aligned to PA Standards (transitioning to STEELS).

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
State Summative

Keystone Algebra I

End-of-course exam in Algebra I, typically grade 8 or 9. Required for graduation under Act 158 pathways.

When given:
end-of-course
Frequency:
by course completion
Official source
State Summative

Keystone Biology

End-of-course exam in Biology, typically grade 9 or 10.

When given:
end-of-course
Frequency:
by course completion
Official source
State Summative

Keystone Literature

End-of-course exam in Literature, typically grade 10 or 11.

When given:
end-of-course
Frequency:
by course completion
Official source
National Monitoring

NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress)

Federally administered sample-based assessment in reading, mathematics, science, and writing. NAEP results inform state-by-state comparisons rather than individual student or school accountability.

When given:
biennial in winter
Frequency:
every two years
Official source
Browse by grade and subject
Pick a cell to see exactly what students learn that year.
Subjects covered
15
Grade levels
14
Standards on file
1,494
Assessments tracked
8
Most recent adoption
2024
Common questions
  • What is the PSSA, and who takes it?

    The PSSA is the spring state test. Students in grades 3 through 8 take it in reading and math, and students in grades 4 and 8 also take it in science. It uses a mix of multiple-choice questions and longer written answers.

  • What are the Keystone Exams?

    The Keystones are end-of-course tests in Algebra I, Biology, and Literature. Students usually take each one right after finishing the course, often in grades 8 through 11. Passing them is one of the paths to graduation under Act 158.

  • Does Pennsylvania use Common Core?

    Not exactly. Pennsylvania adopted its own PA Core standards for reading, writing, and math in 2014. They overlap with Common Core in many places but were rewritten and renamed by the state.

  • What science standards do schools teach now?

    Pennsylvania adopted new science standards called STEELS in 2022, and schools are phasing them in. They cover science, technology, engineering, environmental literacy, and sustainability from kindergarten through high school.

  • What subjects beyond reading, math, and science are required?

    Pennsylvania has state standards for social studies, the arts, world languages, health, physical education, computer science, career education, and social emotional learning. Not all of these are tested, but districts are expected to teach them across the K-12 years.

Sources
Every page link goes back to the state's own document.

Frameworks

Assessments