The Pennsylvania Department of Education has announced that federally-required standardized academic achievement and English learner proficiency tests have been delayed until the fall semester.
The notice of Pennsylvania’s delay was sent today by Acting PA Education Secretary Noe Ortega. The reason for the delay is to continue to allow districts to focus on the health and safety of students, educators and staff. Districts do have the option of administering tests in the spring if they wish, but the decision allows Pennsylvania to comply with federal law, ensure that administering the assessment does not systematically disadvantage historically underserved groups of students and maintains a focus on meeting the emotional and social needs of students.
The US Department of Education earlier this week issued new guidance on assessment administration, which includes an extension of the testing window to the summer or fall, the option of remote assessments, or reducing assessments to make testing more feasible. Pennsylvania also vows not to use test results from a pandemic year for high-stakes purposes like school improvement designations.
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