Posts tagged as “assessment”

Biden Education Department Approves One Request to Cancel State Tests But Rejects Others

April 8, 2021

Evie Blad, Andrew Ujifusa, EducationWeek |

The U.S. Department of Education granted its first broad waiver from testing requirements— to the District of Columbia for this school year, citing the large share of students learning remotely and concerns about safely administering exams.

EducationWeek: Biden Education Department Approves One Request to Cancel State Tests But Rejects Others

Some states were still hoping to cancel testing. The Biden administration just said no.

March 30, 2021

Matt Barnum, Chalkbeat |

States holding out hope that they can cancel standardized testing this year got more bad news Friday, as the Biden administration formally denied requests to do so from two states.

Read “Biden admin says no to states hoping to cancel testing” at Chalkbeat

The Campus Tour Has Been Cancelled

March 28, 2021

This American Life |

How the pandemic has thrown college admissions process into a kind of slow-motion chaos. One of the biggest changes: most colleges have stopped requiring the SAT. For decades, there’s been a debate over whether schools should drop the test.

What’s it mean that it finally happened?

Prologue, By Ira GlassHost Ira Glass takes us on a tour of the various ways the pandemic has affected going to college this year.

Bill would make ACT voluntary, put costs on school districts

March 25, 2021

Susan Tebben, Ohio Capital Journal |

A bill presented Wednesday removes the state mandate that all Ohio high school juniors take the ACT, making it a voluntary test, and also lays the cost of the ACT test on school districts, rather than the state.

Ohio Lawmakers Approve Bill To Change Federal Test Requirements

March 18, 2021

Karen Kasler, Statehouse News Bureau |

The bill waives federal requirements on tests, extending the windows in which tests can be taken and reported and allowing for end of year grades to be used for graduates instead of tests.

Read “Ohio Lawmakers Approve Bill To Change Federal Test Requirements” at the Statehouse News Bureau

Sen.

State report cards bill will be improved; testing bill passed through committee

March 17, 2021

Susan Tebben, Ohio Capital Journal |

Update 03/17/21

The Ohio Senate passed a bill to modify standardized testing, allowing different pathways for current juniors and seniors to graduate amid a pandemic school year. The House concurred on the changes the same day.

State report cards bill will be improved; testing bill passed through committee

The bill also reinstated an emergency clause to the bill that the House removed in their initial vote on the measure.

Ohio lawmakers scrambling to change standardized testing deadlines weeks before they begin

March 1, 2021

Laura Hancock and Emily Bamforth, cleveland.com |

The Ohio General Assembly can’t pass House Bill 67 in its current form because the measure would instruct the Ohio Department of Education to seek permission from the U.S. education secretary to not have standardized tests this year.

Cleveland.com: Ohio lawmakers scrambling to change standardized testing deadlines weeks before they begin

‘Let’s test.’ Tennessee pushes ahead with in-person testing, remote learners included, during pandemic

February 18, 2021

Marta W. Aldrich, Chalkbeat |

While at least six states are seeking to cancel student testing this spring as the pandemic grinds on, Tennessee isn’t wavering in its plan to give tests in person to most of its nearly 1 million students.

“Let’s test and see where we are,” said House Education Committee Chairman Mark White, calling the results crucial to understanding how much students know after a year of learning disruptions.

State education testing shows declines, may be waived in new legislation

February 11, 2021

Susan Tebben, Ohio Capital Journal |

As state officials look for solutions to an education gap caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, two pieces of legislation introduced Tuesday hope to give more leniency on state and federal testing.

Ohio state Rep. Lisa Sobecki testifies before the House Primary & Secondary Education Committee on Tuesday, on a bill seeking waivers on state and federal testing.

Study shows third-grade English achievement dropped amid pandemic

February 5, 2021

Susan Tebben, Ohio Capital Journal |

A study done by political science researchers at Ohio State University showed a significant loss for third-graders in the area of English Language Arts caused by pandemic learning.

States calling for cancellation of state exams

January 26, 2021

Multiple states are beginning to ask the federal government to waive annual testing requirements.

Despite COVID-19, standardized testing may force English learners back to school campuses

January 20, 2021

Alia Wong, USA TODAY |

A coalition of groups including the National Association for Bilingual Education and Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law recently wrote a letter to President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team, saying the tests for English learners should be postponed or made optional.

“While measuring EL students’ proficiency of English remains important, EL students and their families should not be forced into schools and expose themselves to unnecessary risks during these unprecedented times,” the letter states.