State Board of Education approved state academic standards are provided in both Word and PDF formats below. They are also available in html format on the Pennsylvania Code Web Site. The address is for the Pennsylvania Code web site is: www.pacode.com/secure/data/022/chapter4/s4.83.html.

The state academic standards are benchmark measures that define what students should know and be able to do at specified grade levels beginning in grade 3. The standards are promulgated as state regulations. As such they must be used as the basis for curriculum and instruction in Pennsylvania’s public schools. State requirements for curriculum, instruction and assessment may be found in the Board’s Chapter 4 regulations (www.pacode.com/secure/data/022/chapter4/chap4toc.html).

In addition to the state academic standards, the Department of Education developed and the State Board adopted Assessment Anchors for each subject and grade level assessed by the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA). Assessment Anchors are a subset of the state academic standards. They define the academic content and skills that are assessed by the PSSA. Assessment Anchors.

In addition, as required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, the Board adopted alternative learning standards for students with the most severe cognitive disabilities. They can be accessed here.

Also, as required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, the Board adopted Language Proficiency Standards for English Language Learners. These can be accessed here.

The Department of Education has also issued its own standards for Kindergarten programs. These may be accessed here.