Math & reading standards and testing in Pennsylvania
Updated June 2026
Pennsylvania adapted Common Core into its own Pennsylvania Core Standards. Students in grades 3-8 take the PSSA each spring in ELA and mathematics.
Does Pennsylvania hold kids back in 3rd grade for reading?
No. Pennsylvania has no 3rd-grade retention gate (the PSSA starts in grade 3 but is not a promotion gate); promotion is local.
Standards
Pennsylvania Core Standards
Pennsylvania sets its own grade-level expectations rather than using Common Core, though the core math and reading skills are similar grade to grade.
The key test
The Pennsylvania state test
PSSA covers both math and reading in grades 3-8.
Reading the results
Spring, typically April to May.
Four levels: Below Basic, Basic, Proficient, Advanced.
On grade level means Proficient or Advanced on PSSA ELA.
What's distinctive about Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania uses the classic Below Basic to Advanced scale, with Proficient or Advanced counting as passing.
Practice the skills, by grade
Whatever Pennsylvania calls its test, the underlying math and reading skills are grade-level. Practice them directly:
Practice the skills behind the test
Pennsylvania writes its own standards. What a third grader has to do does not change: multiply, find the main idea, read a paragraph and say what it meant. KangarooKiddo drills those skills in daily sessions of a handful of questions that end on their own. You see where your kid actually stands, they earn rewards you set up and approve.
Source: Pennsylvania Department of Education. Verified for the 2025-26 school year; policies can change, so confirm with your school.
Nearby states: Connecticut · Maine · Massachusetts · New Hampshire
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