May. 04, 2026
HARRISBURG – The House today approved legislation co-prime sponsored by Rep. Jason Ortitay (R-Washington/Allegheny) that would require a study to determine if it is feasible to allow the ACT, SAT or Smarter Balanced assessments to be used in place of Keystone Exams.
Currently, Pennsylvania requires high school students to take Keystone Exams in literature, Algebra I and biology to assess proficiency in these subject areas. They were created to meet accountability criteria of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and serve as a component of the Commonwealth’s high school graduation requirements.
“The Keystone Exams have been a point of frustration for a long time,” Ortitay said. “This is a chance to find out if we can do better. The SAT and ACT are tests kids actually want to take because they mean something beyond just a state requirement. They open doors to college. And right now about half of Pennsylvania students never even get that opportunity before they graduate. This study could change that. Let's see if we can make one test count for both and save taxpayers money in the process.”
House Bill 1752 would require the secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Education to contract for a study to assess whether the ACT, SAT or Smarter Balanced assessments align with Pennsylvania’s academic standards and could meet federal requirements for accountability testing under ESSA. The secretary must submit a report within one year of the bill’s effective date containing the results of the study.
A 2019 report by the auditor general found the SAT could be administered at a lower cost than the Keystone Exams. According to the report, the Keystone Exams cost approximately $17.6 million annually to administer and score, compared to an estimated $13.3 million for administering and scoring the SAT for all high school juniors and seniors. Both the SAT and ACT are widely used to assess college readiness, with about half of Pennsylvania students taking one of these exams before graduation.
The bill now goes to the Senate for its consideration.
The 46th Legislative District includes South Fayette Township and McDonald and Oakdale boroughs in Allegheny County. It also encompasses Cecil, Chartiers, Mt. Pleasant and North Strabane (Districts 6,7,8 and 9) townships and Canonsburg, Houston and McDonald boroughs in Washington County.
Representative Jason Ortitay
46th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Tracy Polovick
717.260.6358
tpolovick@pahousegop.com
RepOrtitay.com / Facebook.com/RepOrtitay