D.C.: Request to Cancel Spring Tests Approved by Federal Officials
April 7, 2021
D.C. is now the only state to have its waiver request for federally-required assessments approved by the Education Department, even as handfuls of other states saw their requests to cancel spring tests this school year denied. Deputy Education Secretary Ian Rosenblum cited D.C. having among the highest rates of virtual learning during the pandemic as the primary reason the waiver request was approved. States like Montana, New York, and Oregon – whose requests to cancel tests were denied – are now considering taking advantage of a number of flexibilities offered by federal officials, including the use of shortened tests, flexible testing windows, and, in some cases, the use of sampling to test smaller groups of students.