Announcement from Carolyn C. Dumaresq, Ed.D., Acting Secretary of Education, PDE — Thanks to the responses from school and district leaders, PDE recognizes the challenges faced with any change to the 2014 testing window.  We have decided that there is no perfect solution, so our compromise will be an extension of the PSSA Math/Reading and PSSA Writing testing windows.

PDE will extend the PSSA Math/Reading window to March 17 – April 4, 2014.  Those schools/districts that need to administer the PSSA Math/Reading during the original testing window of March 17 – 28 will still have the opportunity to do so.  Schools/Districts that choose to take advantage of the extended window will have the ability to administer the tests March 24 – April 4, 2014.  The make-up window will be April 7 – 11, 2014.

DRC will maintain its current shipping schedule, so materials will arrive at schools/districts as originally planned.  PDE requires that schools/districts that take advantage of the extended window securely lock the assessments until such time as the assessments are administered.  Additionally, in order to maintain as much of the processing time as possible for DRC, PDE strongly encourages that LEAs return their used testing materials as soon as testing is complete, regardless of which testing-window option is selected.

The same logic applies to the PSSA Writing window. Materials will be available if you choose to test during the original window of March 31 – April 4; however, the window will be extended to April 11 for those who need it.  Make-ups for the PSSA Writing is April 14 – 25, 2014.

The PSSA Science and the Keystone Exams windows will not change.  The PSSA Science window is April 28 – May 9, including make-ups; the Keystone Exams window is May 12 – 23.

DRC will distribute a new survey to schools/district for those sites that wish to change their testing dates.