Reprieve expected on standardized testing

March 23, 2020

Reprieve expected on standardized testing

According to CCSD Superintendent Dr. Harrison Goodwin, State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman informed school district superintendents last Friday in a conference call that the S.C. Department of Education has applied for the waiver from federally-mandated standardized testing.
Last Friday, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced that students impacted by school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic may bypass standardized testing for the 2019-20 school year. Upon receiving a proper request, the department will grant a waiver to any state that is unable to assess its students due to the ongoing national emergency, providing relief from federally mandated testing requirements for this school year.
In Gov. Henry McMaster’s executive order, the state superintendent and the state board of education are authorized to make decisions without having to consult with the Education Oversight Committee.
Goodwin added he expected the state waiver to bypass federally-mandated standardized testing for 2019-20 for the 750,000 students in K-12 public education to be approved.