According to the Department, President Biden’s first priority is to safely re-open schools. States need to understand the impact COVID-19 has had on learning and identify what resources and supports students need.
At the same time, the Department recognizes that the pandemic requires significant flexibility for the 2020-2021 school year. The Department is, therefore, offering flexibility with respect to assessments, accountability, and reporting systems for the 2020-2021 school year.
The Department is not inviting blanket waivers of assessments, but the Chief State School Officers will work with states to address their individual needs and conditions while ensuring the maximum available statewide data to inform the targeting of resources and supports. If a request for a waiver is appropriate, prior to submitting a waiver request, states must provide the public and interested local educational agencies notice and a reasonable time for them to comment in the manner in which the state educational agency customarily provides notice and the opportunity to comment to the public. The letter can be found HERE.
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