Biden throws a wet blanket on blanket waivers
By Dale Chu With more states signaling interest in skipping annual testing in 2021, the Biden administration announced yesterday evening that it would not be issuing blanket waivers on state assessments. In a letter sent to state education chiefs, the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) correctly underscored the importance of state tests in “advancing educational […]
How waivers could be the hundred-and-first blow against testing
By Dale Chu With Miguel Cardona’s confirmation and installation as the nation’s next education secretary imminent, it’s worth reviewing the stakes attached to one of the most immediate and consequential decisions he will have to make: Whether to offer testing waivers to states for a second consecutive year. More than a handful (i.e., GA, MI, […]
What President Biden’s EOs mean for state testing
By Dale Chu Joe Biden wasted no time last week in signing a flurry of executive orders (EOs) in the first hours of his presidency. Two actions in particular are worth noting because of the language employed and its potential implications for state testing. Consider the title of the first one: “Executive Order on Ensuring […]
More questions than answers on state testing
By Dale Chu As the second semester gets underway, the debate about whether or not the federal government should waive state testing will soon come to a head. Betsy DeVos is gone and, although she said she wouldn’t offer waivers again, decisions about what to do this spring now fall to Biden’s education secretary, Miguel […]
Preparing for an education recovery
By Dale Chu Uncertainty about the status of spring testing notwithstanding, schools and systems across the country are steeling themselves for what could be a long road ahead. Even as the pandemic intensifies, public officials are recognizing the importance of annual assessments to support a post-Covid recovery. States understandably had to forgo testing last spring […]
Ixnaying the NAEP
By Dale Chu In a breaking but not altogether surprising move, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) just announced their plan to delay the biennial NAEP assessment of reading and math. According to James Woodworth, NCES’s commissioner, there are not enough students physically attending school to allow for a valid and reliable administration next […]
A new administration and an uncertain future for annual testing
By Dale Chu California just shortened its annual test for next spring. New York has canceled its January round of Regents exams (standardized tests in core high school subjects). And with the virus resurging, the prospect of low student turnout is causing concern in states like Ohio and North Carolina, where one parent reportedly […]
Student assessment during COVID-19: A conversation with Laura Jimenez (Part III)
By Dale Chu Laura Jimenez is the Director of Standards and Accountability at the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning policy and research think tank. Last month, Laura authored a report titled Student Assessment During COVID-19, which discussed why schools should assess students next year using annual state tests; the role other assessments might play […]
Student assessment during COVID-19: A conversation with Laura Jimenez (Part II)
By Dale Chu Laura Jimenez is the Director of Standards and Accountability at the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning policy and research think tank. Last month, Laura authored a report titled Student Assessment During COVID-19, which discussed why schools should assess students next year using annual state tests; the role other assessments might play […]
Student assessment during COVID-19: A conversation with Laura Jimenez (Part I)
By Dale Chu Laura Jimenez is the Director of Standards and Accountability at the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning policy and research think tank. Last month, Laura authored a report titled Student Assessment During COVID-19, which discussed why schools should assess students next year using annual state tests, the role other assessments might play in […]