Student Assessment: PSSA & Keystone Information

Welcome to our district's assessment page, which houses important information regarding our students' participation in statewide assessments, such as the PSSAs and Keystones. You can navigate this page to find:

  1. Access to the statewide assessment calendar for UCASD.

  2. Information about a special parent engagement event on statewide testing and empowering student success in March of 2025.

  3. Direct links to PDE resources for students and families, including the PDE Item Samplers with sample test questions and answers, test design descriptions and blue prints, and scoring guidelines for assessments.

  4. Copies of the parent letter/FAQs, electronic device policy, and more from PDE.

Should you ever have any questions about local or statewide assessments, please contact our District Assessment Coordinator, Mrs. Email Stacey Dell or 814-438-3804 ext. 5457.

2024-2025 UCASD Statewide Assessment Calendar

Spring PSSAs and Keystone Exam Dates

Please Join Us for an Exciting Parent Engagement Event!

Empowering Student Success

Resources for Students & Families

Understanding Statewide Assessments

PDE provides a host of resources that are publicly accessible, including testing administration information, assessment anchors and eligible content, cut scores, and more. You can access the main assessment pages below, as well as specific testing information for each of the subjects. Check out the links below and reach out to your School Assessment Coordinator or District Assessment Coordinator for more information!

PDE: ​​​​​​​​Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA)​​​​​​​​ - ELA, Mathematics, and Science (Elementary & Middle School)

PDE's PSSA Mathematics Resources (Grades 3-8) - Test design, calculator policy, item samplers, scoring guidelines, formula sheets

PDE's PSSA English/Language Arts Resources (Grades 3-8) - Test design, item samplers, Text-Dependent Analysis (TDA) scoring guidelines

PDE's PSSA Science Resources (Grades 5 & 8) - Test design, item samplers, scoring guidelines

PDE: Keystone Exams - Literature, Algebra, and Biology (High School)

Keystone Item Samplers

Keystone Scoring Guidelines

General Assessment Information from PDE

Please review the following important information for students and families, provided through the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Note: All parents/guardians of eligible test-takers receive a physical copy of both the Parent Letter and the Electronic Device information for the PSSAs and/or Keystone exams.

Page was last updated on March 18, 2025.