POWHATAN – Powhatan County students of all ages are expected to have more flexibility when it comes to testing in the spring because of waivers and emergency guidance approved by the state.
The recently-announced new measures mean that elementary and middle school students this spring will likely be taking more local assessments instead of Standards of Learning tests in history and social science and English writing, according to a release from the Virginia Department of Education. Additionally, school divisions have been given greater flexibility in awarding credits toward graduation for high school seniors.
The waivers and emergency guidance were approved on Nov. 19 by Superintendent of Public Instruction James Lane, the state Board of Education, and Secretary of Education Atif Qarni. The goal was to reduce the need for in-person testing this year as schools contend with the coronavirus pandemic.
People are also reading…
“The waivers and emergency guidance will simplify the logistics of SOL testing this year and ensure that COVID-19 pandemic does not unduly prevent any student from earning a diploma,” Lane said. “The board of education and I are also creating opportunities for school divisions to create multiple pathways for students to demonstrate content mastery while prioritizing health and safety. This includes expanding the use of performance assessments that encourage deeper learning and assess the acquisition by students of the skills and attributes we call the Five C’s: critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration and citizenship.”
Dr. Eric Jones, PCPS superintendent, said he was still waiting on more specific information from the state, but he already knows the school division will be taking advantage of this move to benefit Powhatan students.
The move aligns with the school division’s philosophy and strategic plan in terms of providing authentic assessments for Powhatan students, so administrators and staff are happy to be able to take advantage of the opportunity to “not do an external assessment that may or may not accurately reflect where our students are.”
“For us, it aligns well with what we are doing to assess students in a more authentic manner. It also allows our teachers, who know our students best, to accurately assess their progress throughout the year, which is something in Powhatan we believe in – that the professionals who work with students on a daily basis should be in charge of that process,” Jones said.
He added that Powhatan may not be as impacted as some school divisions because it had already been investing heavily ion performance-based assessments.
The waivers became effective following review and approval by Qarni.
“These waivers provide relief and agility to students and educators who are managing a lot of personal and professional pressure during this tumultuous time,” Qarni said. “Innovation is necessary to keep Virginia students learning safely this academic year, and we will continue working to create new pathways for student and educator success as they adapt to changing circumstances and forms of instruction.”
During the Nov. 19 board of education meeting, Lane noted that it is unlikely that the U.S. Department of Education will waive federal rules that require annual testing in reading and mathematics in grades three through eight, according to the education department’s release. Federal education law also requires reading and math tests in high school, and science testing at least once in elementary, middle and high school.
The state, however, does have flexibility in the administration of SOL tests in history and social science and English writing that are not federally mandated.
Citing his authority under Governor Ralph Northam’s Executive Order 51, Lane issued an emergency waiver allowing school divisions this year to replace the Virginia Studies, Civics and Economics, and Grade-8 Writing SOL tests with local assessments, providing that they follow emergency guidance approved by the board of education and report student performance data to the state. The SOL tests will continue to be available for school divisions that choose to administer them.
In addition, the board of education approved emergency guidance granting school divisions additional flexibility in the awarding of verified credits and reducing the need for students to return to school buildings to retake end-of-course SOL assessments.
Under the guidance, school divisions may award a verified credit for a course taken in fall 2020 if the student achieves a score of at least 350 on the test and meets local criteria for course achievement.
“The emergency guidance approved (Nov. 19) is in keeping with the commitment the board of education made during the beginning of the pandemic in March to do everything possible to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on students and schools,” Board of Education President Daniel Gecker said.
The change means a great deal less stress for Powhatan teachers and students in a year that is already far from ordinary, Jones said.
“It will allow our teachers to focus on teaching our students and assessing our students without the stress of an external assessment. The same is true of many of our students that will be relieved by this, especially our high school students that need these credits for graduation,” he said.
Lane exercised emergency authority granted by the 2020 General Assembly to waive a requirement that high school students attempt to pass an end-of-course SOL test in history before becoming eligible to earn a locally awarded verified credit. The waiver allows school divisions to verify achievement in high school history courses during 2020-2021 with locally developed performance assessments.
Students in divisions that are unable to offer local performance assessments in history and social science this year are still required to attempt an SOL end-of-course assessment at least once and achieve a score of at least 350 to become eligible for a locally awarded verified credit.
Lane also waived a cap on the number of locally awarded verified credits a school division may issue during the course of a year.
Jones said he saw the move to help graduating seniors as a “common sense and humane approach” to aiding students who have already faced so much disruption in their last year in high school.
“We are trying to fill in the gaps and we are trying to make sure that they are prepared for graduation and not having to add on the stress of passing an SOL test that would bar them from graduation. I think that’s a great step and one that recognizes a lot of the trauma that a lot of our seniors have endured over the last several months,” Jones said.
While the state will likely waive accreditation for this year because of the pandemic, Jones said his staff is continuing to monitor and assess student progress through benchmark and classroom assessments. Staff is looking at that information on a weekly and monthly basis to keep track of how students are doing and intervene if needed. Included in the larger picture is the breakdown of populations identified by the state such as minority students, those with a disability, and those who speak English as a second language.
“That process will continue. The SOLs are just one statewide measure of that. Certainly in Powhatan we do that regularly and will continue to do it this year,” he said.
Laura McFarland may be reached at Lmcfarland@powhatantoday.com.