PSSA and Keystone testing season is a significant undertaking here at PA Distance. As a cyber charter school, things look a little different, and the planning, requirements, and testing process reflects the uniqueness that lends itself to a virtual school. It is also an additional opportunity for students to form and strengthen relationships with their classmates and even their teachers. 

“Every year, testing is a unique time when students and staff can interact with each other face-to-face and everyone looks forward to it. Students get the chance to see some of their classmates, too,” PA Distance Testing Coordinator, Mrs. Bailey explained.

In addition to a variety of in-person field trips and family engagement events that the PA Distance Community Engagement Team coordinates once a month, testing season is another chance for students to get together with their classmates.  

“I get to see some classmates in person that I have never got to meet before,” 12th-grader McKayla Taylor noted. “You can make friends that way and you get to meet teachers that you haven’t had the chance to meet in person.”

But long before students arrive at their respective testing locations Mrs. Bailey begins planning for the testing season. The planning begins early in the school year when Mrs. Bailey references a list of students who are required to take either a Pennsylvania System School Assessment (PSSA) or Keystone Exam. Leading up to the time students will be actually testing (Monday, April 25th - Friday, May 6th), Mrs. Bailey coordinates and schedules exam locations based on the student's local residences. She segments students required to take the exams into in-person testing locations within towns and cities all across Pennsylvania.

For example, because Philadelphia is so highly populated with PA Distance students, Mrs. Bailey will set up multiple testing locations that are no more than 45 minutes away from their homes. The majority of the testing locations are within hotel conference rooms and event spaces. For 2022, Mrs. Bailey has scheduled over 20 testing sites for both PSSA and Keystone testing this April and May.

Throughout each student’s week of subject-based testing, they interact with peers in their same testing location and extend their socialization beyond the virtual classroom. 

“Testing is often a place where friendships are formed,” Research & Development Coordinator, Mrs. Heiles added. 

“I am looking forward to PSSA testing because I get to see how much I’ve improved in English Language Arts and Math since last year,” 7th-grader Precious Morales said. “I'm excited to meet my classmates to kind of bond a little more.”

PSSA and Keystone testing is an important time for students, educators, and students to gain an understanding of student and school performance and proficiency of the academic standards across subjects and grade levels. Our students recognize that and look forward to seeing their scores, too. 

“I think Keystones are a good thing because you can see how much you have grown over the years of learning,” McKayla added. 

“It is a great time to connect and get to know our families outside of the virtual classroom,” Elementary School Counselor Mr. Payne explained. “I enjoy getting to see our students show off their hard work and determination when they are testing.”

PA Distance teachers, staff, and administrators are assigned to each testing location to help proctor the exams each week. It is also an opportunity for PA Distance staff to interact with students in a different setting. 

“It’s so cute,” Ms. Kelly said. “I’ve been assigned to testing locations where students have gone out to lunch together after they finish a morning of testing. It’s so nice to see students get together and take advantage of the testing days to hang out with each other.”

“I love meeting students and families! Testing season is a great time to meet other students and PA Distance staff,” high school Counselor Mrs. Mihoerck explained. “We look forward to seeing our students. PSSA's and Keystone's are their time to shine and we can't wait to see them.”

For more information about testing, please email testing@padistance.org.