Feds give approval for NC schools to not give tests to students due to coronavirus
Updated on March 23
North Carolina public school students may not need to take state standardized exams this school year amid the uncertainty over the coronavirus closures.
The U.S. Department of Education approved Monday the state’s request not to enforce standardized testing requirements in elementary through high school this year. This waiver would affect the North Carolina end-of-grade exams given in grades 3-8 and end-of-course exams typically given to high school students.
“Neither students nor teachers need to be focused on high-stakes tests during this difficult time,” U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said in a news release Friday. “Students are simply too unlikely to be able to perform their best in this environment.”
The U.S. Department of Education normally requires that states test their students as a way to hold schools accountable. But multiple states have requested waivers citing how long schools will be closed due to COVID-19, the illness caused by coronavirus.
The State Board of Education approved a one-year waiver request on Monday morning from the federal testing requirements.. Federal and state officials announced approval of the waiver Monday afternoon.
“All assessments must be administered under conditions that ensure the data is valid and reliable, and we can not do that at this time,” said Tammy Howard, director of accountability for the state Department of Public Instruction. “LIkewise there wouldn’t be any data available for the accountability measures for the 2019-20 school year.”
A federal waiver is only one part of the process for halting the exams.
The General Assembly would also need to agree to suspend the tests, which are required under state law and used for things such as evaluating teachers, giving bonuses to principals and teachers and giving A-F letter grades to public schools based on their performance.
State lawmakers would also have to decide whether to waive exams that are not required by the federal government such as the N.C. Final Exams. This is the last year the N.C. Final Exams are supposed to be given.
State board member JB Buxton said Monday that board chairman Eric Davis has told lawmakers they’ll request waivers this year on state-level accountability requirements.
House Speaker Tim Moore said Friday that lawmakers would be willing to waive the state requirements this year for both public and private school students.
“We are communicating closely with the federal government and understand that as their testing is compromised, North Carolina should follow their lead in reducing these end-of-year requirements to assist school districts,” Moore said in a news release Friday.
Senate leader Phil Berger’s office did not immediately return The News & Observer’s request for comment Friday.
All North Carolina K-12 public schools are closed through at least May 15.
This story was originally published March 20, 2020 at 1:20 PM.
