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Official Website

of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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    Elementary and Secondary Education

    The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) provides assistance to public schools across Pennsylvania who serve students in kindergarten through grade 12. The office works with educators, legislators, government agencies, organizations, and communities across Pennsylvania to ensure students have access to a high-quality education, regardless of their zip code.  

    OESE Contact List
    OESE General Annual Calendar

    Programs

    21st Century Community Learning Centers
    Career and Technical Education
    Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness
    Gifted Education
    Home Education/Private Tutoring
    Refugee Education
    Nonpublic/Private Schools
    Special Education
    Alternative Education for Disruptive Youth (AEDY)
    Charter/Cyber Charter Schools
    Education Leading to Employment and Career Training (ELECT)
    Governor's Schools
    Homebound Instruction
    Migrant Education
    Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)

    Career Ready PA

    Pennsylvania's economic future depends on having a well-educated and skilled workforce that is prepared to meet the current and projected demands of a global, knowledge-based 21st century economy.

    Explore Career Ready PA

    Curriculum

    The Division of Instructional Quality provides guidance, materials and resources to educators regarding curriculum, instruction, assessment ​and regulations passed by the Pennsylvania State Board of Education (Pa. Code, Title 22, Chapter 4) related to:

    Arts & Humanities
    Driver & Safety Education
    Economic Education/Financial Literacy
    Educating English Learners
    Health & Physical Education
    Social Studies
    English Language Arts
    Mathematics
    Technology & Engineering
    Environment and Ecology
    Sciene
    World Languages

    Standards Aligned System

    The Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Division of Instructional Quality maintains and supports a digital curriculum and instruction resource website – the Standards Aligned System (SAS) – which is comprised of six distinct elements that provide a common framework for continuous student, teacher, and school and district growth.

    PDE SAS

    Assessments

    The Pennsylvania state assessment system is composed of assessments and the reporting associated with the results of those assessments. The assessment system includes the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA), the Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment (PASA), the Pennsylvania Accountability System (PAS), the Pennsylvania Value-Added Assessment System (PVAAS), the Keystone Exams (end-of-course), Classroom Diagnostic Tools (CDT) and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Learn more about these assessments and others below.

    Classroom Diagnostic Tools (CDT)
    English Language Proficiency
    Keystone Exams
    Kindergarten Entry Inventory
    National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
    Online Assessment Resources
    PA Accountability System (PAS)
    PA Alternate System of Assessment (PASA)
    PA System of School Assessment (PSSA)
    PA Value-Added Assessment System (PVAAS)
    Assessments

    Graduation Requirements

    Learn about Pennsylvania’s Pathways to Graduation, which provide alternative avenues for high school students to demonstrate postsecondary preparedness and satisfy statewide requirements without attaining Keystone Exam proficiency.

    Pathways to Graduation