Like all public schools, AACMS is required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to administer the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) exams to our students each spring. Testing dates vary by school year. Please avoid scheduling vacations or other planned student absences during PSSA Testing; students who are absent from school during testing will be required to complete the assessment on an alternate date.

View PSSA Information for Parents or Guardians
 

Updated March 2026
Section 4.4 of Title 22, Chapter 4 provides for the rights of any parent or guardian to excuse his or her child from the state assessment if, upon inspection of the testing materials, they find the assessment to be in conflict with their religious beliefs. This is the only basis for a parent or guardian to excuse his or her child from the statewide assessments.

1. Parent/Guardian contacts the guidance department (aholbert@aacms.org) or Interim School Building Principal (cgreagori@aacms.org) between April 6, 2025, and April 16, 2025, which is within two weeks of the Pennsylvania Department of Education predetermined PSSA Assessment Window to schedule an assessment review.

• A Parent/Guardian may only request a secure assessment review if they believe that they may have an objection to content based upon their religious beliefs.
• The parental review of test materials request is only in effect for religious reasons and not moral or ethical objections to the testing.

2. Ms. Holbert schedules the secure assessment review (to be held at AACMS) at a time convenient for both parties.

Things to remember prior to review of secure test materials at the school:

 3. Ms. Holbert or Ms. Greagori must be present with the Parent/Guardian at all times during the review of secure test materials.

4. Parent/Guardian must surrender any electronic device(s) over to school personnel. (to be held until secure review has been completed). This includes cell phones, tablets, and smart watches.

5. Parent/Guardian reviews and signs the Pennsylvania Department of Education Parent Confidentiality Agreement.

6. Parent/Guardian is not allowed to take any notes during the secure review.

Things to remember during the review of secure test materials at the school:

7. Parent/Guardian reviews the assessment (for each content area considering an opt-out). To opt out of all three PSSA’s, all three content area assessments must be reviewed.

• A parent/guardian must review current assessments each year for potential religious conflicts.

Things to remember after the review of secure test materials at the school:         

8. Parent/Guardian documents religious objection within a letter and submits to the Superintendent of Schools/CEO (keisenhart@aacms.org) for approval.

9. The Superintendent of Schools/CEO will approve or disapprove the Parent/Guardian request. In cases of any disapproval, Superintendent contacts Parent/Guardian providing notification of the determination.

10.  NOTE: A religious excusal for the child will have a negative impact on student participation rate for district/school federal/state accountability measures. 

We encourage all students and their parents to allow participation in the PSSA Exams.

• We are subject to a federal requirement to have 95 percent or more of the students participate.  Some schools do not achieve the federal participation requirement.
• The request to not participate is limited to religious conflict only.  This is NOT an exemption. It is to be used in a limited number of cases.  Most states do not allow students to be excused from testing for any reason.

Important Dates

• The 2026 PSSA testing window begins Tuesday, April 21, 2026.
• Tests can only be viewed from April 7-17, 2026.
• No religious exemption requests will be accepted after Thursday, April 16, 2026.