Feds: Students must take state assessment tests this year, despite pandemic

The federal government has rejected a bid by New York and other states for waivers of assessment test requirements this year.

The U.S. Department of Education has informed states it will not grant a blanket waiver for state assessments, the New York State Education Department announced yesterday.

The federal agency said children learning remotely will not be required to go into school to take a state assessment, according to NYSED, which said that was “the right call.”

The U.S. Department of Education agreed to uncouple state assessments from ESSA accountability requirements so that results solely will be used as a measure of student learning, NYSED said.

“The Riverhead Central School District is awaiting guidance and information from the New York State Education Department with regard to the federal government’s decision to require standardized testing for this school year,” Acting Superintendent Christine Tona said yesterday.

“Once shared, our district will review the information and address it as we have addressed all of the other challenges of the past year, thoughtfully and collaboratively with the best interests of our students at the forefront,” Tona said.

The state agency said yesterday it plans to propose series of regulatory amendments at the March Board of Regents meeting that would eliminate Regents exams as a requirement for graduation this year and also would cancel any Regents exam that is not required by the U.S. Department of Education,

The state submitted federal waiver requests on Feb. 12, addressing “the unique circumstances caused by the ongoing pandemic that have resulted in many students receiving some or all of their instruction remotely.”

Educators and parents across the state favored the waiver request, NYSED Commissioner Betty Rosa said in a Feb. 12 press release announcing the request.

“The feedback was overwhelmingly positive and strengthens our resolve that our schools and students would be best served by waiving testing and accountability requirements,” she said.

New York State United Teachers said it “strongly rebuked the federal government’s decision to mandate that states administer standardized tests this school year.”

Requiring students to take standardized tests this year “just doesn’t make sense,” NYSUT President Andy Pallotta said.

“As the educators in the classroom, we have always known that standardized tests are not the best way to measure a child’s development, and they are especially unreliable right now,” Pallotta said.

“We need to ensure that our students who have been hit hardest during the pandemic receive the support they need. Sizing up students with inequitable and stressful exams is not the solution.”