Keystone Exams to be delayed
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HARRISBURG -- Acting Education Secretary Ron Tomalis told senators Monday that the state's public school students will have a little more time before they must face the Keystone Exams.
Mr. Tomalis cited the state budget deficit, as well as problems with some districts not covering material on those tests, as reasons implementation of the end-of-course exams will be slower than scheduled.
"It's a good time to take a step back and make sure that when we go forward and implement a higher-stakes test that our students are able to pass the test," said Mr. Tomalis, after his confirmation hearing before the Senate Education Committee.
The state plans to develop 10 Keystone Exams in math, English, social studies and science and make them part of graduation requirements for the class of 2015.
The first of those exams were expected to be available this spring. School districts could use the state-provided exam or develop their own approved version.
Mr. Tomalis said his agency will continue preparing and testing exam questions, and that Gov. Tom Corbett will have more information on the exams as part of his budget announcement today.
Committee chairman Jeffrey Piccola, R-Dauphin, told Mr. Tomalis that he hopes the exams will remain "a top priority" for the department.
The Senate panel approved Mr. Tomalis' nomination on a vote of 11-0. His confirmation now awaits a majority vote in that chamber.
Previously, Mr. Tomalis served as deputy education secretary under Gov. Tom Ridge, and as director of Dutko Worldwide/Whiteboard Advisors, where he worked with various nonprofit education groups and education-related companies.
He also served as a counselor to the U.S. secretary of education under President George W. Bush. Mr. Tomalis said that experience allowed him to see what other states were doing in the field.
During the 45-minute hearing, Mr. Tomalis offered few details of spending changes expected for his agency, which accounts for more than one-third of the state budget. That information will become apparent this morning when Mr. Corbett delivers his budget address.
First Published March 8, 2011 12:00 am
