When a segment of high school students return to the classroom in Palmerton Area School District, they will jump right into taking Keystone Exams, state mandated end-of-course tests in English literature and biology.

Palmerton schools have been closed since Jan. 9, when teachers began a strike that could last until Jan. 25."With an anticipated return date of Jan. 26, the Pennsylvania Department of Education has indicated we must test on this date and continue testing through Jan. 30," the district said in a statement on its website. "Should the teachers return sooner, the testing schedule would be adjusted accordingly."Palmerton Director of Curriculum Dan Heaney said the district lobbied with the state to push the testing dates back as far as possible but was given a deadline in order for the exams to be scored in a timely manner.PDE uses Data Recognition Corporation to create and score the Keystone Exams."We have to send the tests out by 3 p.m. on Jan. 31," Palmerton High School Principal Paula Husar said Thursday. "There are a number of factors that play into when we need to have them in by. The winter Keystone Exams scores play a part in the School Performance Profile scores for each individual school. Students who don't score proficient on the winter Keystone Exams have to be retested in the spring, so the state has to get those scores back to us in order for us to know who to retest."Husar said Palmerton will be testing all day on Jan. 26, 27 and 30."It will be predominantly literature and biology," Husar said. "Our Algebra I is now a full-year course so students will be taking that Keystone exam in the fall."Other students around the state began taking the winter round of Keystone Exams the week of Jan. 9.Act 1 of 2016 delayed the use of the Keystone Exams as a graduation requirement until 2019.Test scores can also be reported on official student transcripts.Approximately 60 to 75 percent of the score is based on multiple-choice questions, and 25 to 40 percent is based on open-ended questions.On the Keystones, in 2015, 73 percent of students statewide scored proficient or above on the literature test, and 59 percent of students were proficient or above on the biology exam.Preparing for testsHow can students prepare while out of school?Husar and Heaney suggested several ways students could stay engaged and prepare for the Keystone Exams while out of school.Khan Academy,

https://www.khanacademy.org, offers free practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard in math, science, computer programming, history, art history, economics, and more."I like it because students can pick what they want to study so for the Keystones they could focus on biology, literature and math," Husar said. "Students set up their own username and password. It can also help them prepare for PSAT and SAT tests."Students should already have a username and password for Math XL,

http://www.mathxlforschool.com, which provides personalized instruction and practice for middle and high school students of all levels.The program features help from interactive study aids, stepped-out examples, video tutors, and animations."Any students who have forgotten their username or password can call Mr. Heaney at the district and get that information from him," Husar said.Study Island,

http://www.studyisland.com, is another program already in use at Palmerton.Students can work at their own pace through interactive lessons and activities.