In Pennsylvania, the PA Alternate System of Assessment (PASA) serves as the statewide alternate assessment for federal accountability. The PASA is administered in grades 3-8 and 11 in ELA (Reading and Writing) and Math and grades 4, 8 and 11 in Science. The PASA is intended for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities - which is about 1% of the total tested population.
The PASA is aligned to grade-level standards and alternate eligible content (AEC). AEC is derived from the eligible content and reduced in depth, breadth, and complexity. In order to participate in the PASA, students must be deemed eligible by the IEP Team. The IEP team should review participation in statewide assessments annually and determine whether the student will participate in the general assessment (known as the PSSA or Keystone Exam) or the PASA. The decision is based upon the IEP Team’s ability to answer “YES” to all six PASA eligibility criteria. Students eligible for the PASA should be receiving instruction aligned to the AEC, and the IEP must include standards-aligned goals and objectives. Decisions to participate in the alternate assessment should not be determined by an administrator, be based upon anticipated poor performance on the general assessment, or upon disability category.
Additional information about the PASA can be found at PaTTAN - PASA 
and at Pennsylvania Department of Education - Assessments .
- Add General Information Content Item
- General Information
- PASA Administrators’ Manual leads to file
- PASA Assessment Coordinators Handbook leads to file
- PASA Getting Ready leads to file
- Add ELA - Reading Content Item
- ELA - Reading
- ELA Across the Grades with Intent leads to file
- Grade 3 ELA-Reading Alternate Eligible Content leads to file
- Grade 4 ELA-Reading Alternate Eligible Content leads to file
- Grade 5 ELA-Reading Alternate Eligible Content leads to file
- Grade 6 ELA-Reading Alternate Eligible Content leads to file
- Grade 7 ELA-Reading Alternate Eligible Content leads to file
- Grade 8 ELA-Reading Alternate Eligible Content leads to file
- Grade 11 ELA-Reading Alternate Eligible Content leads to file
- Performance Level Descriptors
- Grade 3 ELA-Reading Tier 1 Performance Level Descriptors leads to file
- Grade 3 ELA-Reading Tier 2 Performance Level Descriptors leads to file
- Grade 4 ELA-Reading Tier 1 Performance Level Descriptors leads to file
- Grade 4 ELA-Reading Tier 2 Performance Level Descriptors leads to file
- Grade 5 ELA-Reading Tier 1 Performance Level Descriptors leads to file
- Grade 5 ELA-Reading Tier 2 Performance Level Descriptors leads to file
- Grade 6 ELA-Reading Tier 1 Performance Level Descriptors leads to file
- Grade 6 ELA-Reading Tier 2 Performance Level Descriptors leads to file
- Grade 7 ELA-Reading Tier 1 Performance Level Descriptors leads to file
- Grade 7 ELA-Reading Tier 2 Performance Level Descriptors leads to file
- Grade 8 ELA-Reading Tier 1 Performance Level Descriptors leads to file
- Grade 8 ELA-Reading Tier 2 Performance Level Descriptors leads to file
- Grade 11 ELA-Reading Tier 1 Performance Level Descriptors leads to file
- Grade 11 ELA-Reading Tier 2 Performance Level Descriptors leads to file
- Add ELA - Writing Content Item
- ELA - Writing
- Writing Across the Grades with Intent leads to file
- Grade 3 ELA-Writing Alternate Eligible Content leads to file
- Grade 4 ELA-Writing Alternate Eligible Content leads to file
- Grade 5 ELA-Writing Alternate Eligible Content leads to file
- Grade 6 ELA-Writing Alternate Eligible Content leads to file
- Grade 7 ELA-Writing Alternate Eligible Content leads to file
- Grade 8 ELA-Writing Alternate Eligible Content leads to file
- Grade 11 ELA-Writing Alternate Eligible Content leads to file
- Add Math Content Item
- Math
- Math Across the Grades with Intent leads to file
- Grade 3 Math Alternate Eligible Content leads to file
- Grade 4 Math Alternate Eligible Content leads to file
- Grade 5 Math Alternate Eligible Content leads to file
- Grade 6 Math Alternate Eligible Content leads to file
- Grade 7 Math Alternate Eligible Content leads to file
- Grade 8 Math Alternate Eligible Content leads to file
- Grade 11 Math Alternate Eligible Content leads to file
- Performance Level Descriptors
- Grade 3 Math Tier 1 Performance Level Descriptors leads to file
- Grade 3 Math Tier 2 Performance Level Descriptors leads to file
- Grade 4 Math Tier 1 Performance Level Descriptors leads to file
- Grade 4 Math Tier 2 Performance Level Descriptors leads to file
- Grade 5 Math Tier 1 Performance Level Descriptors leads to file
- Grade 5 Math Tier 2 Performance Level Descriptors leads to file
- Grade 6 Math Tier 1 Performance Level Descriptors leads to file
- Grade 6 Math Tier 2 Performance Level Descriptors leads to file
- Grade 7 Math Tier 1 Performance Level Descriptors leads to file
- Grade 7 Math Tier 2 Performance Level Descriptors leads to file
- Grade 8 Math Tier 1 Performance Level Descriptors leads to file
- Grade 8 Math Tier 2 Performance Level Descriptors leads to file
- Grade 11 Math Tier 1 Performance Level Descriptors leads to file
- Add Science Content Item
- Science
- Science Across the Grades with Intent leads to file
- Grade 4 Science Alternate Eligible Content leads to file
- Grade 8 Science Alternate Eligible Content leads to file
- Grade 11 Science Alternate Eligible Content leads to file
- Performance Level Descriptors
- Grade 4 Science Tier 1 Performance Level Descriptors leads to file
- Grade 4 Science Tier 2 Performance Level Descriptors leads to file
- Grade 8 Science Tier 1 Performance Level Descriptors leads to file
- Grade 8 Science Tier 2 Performance Level Descriptors leads to file
- Grade 11 Science Tier 1 Performance Level Descriptors leads to file
- Grade 11 Science Tier 2 Performance Level Descriptors leads to file
