DPI Seeks Federal Government Waiver From Standardized Testing

A mandate by the state Department of Health Services to move all public and private classes online through April 6 had teachers over the weekend pounding out lesson plans to be delivered online as most students across the state begin learning from home.

As teachers and administrators try to stay afloat while news of COVID-19 in Wisconsin keeps changing, the state Department of Public Instruction is asking the federal government for a waiver to get students out of taking mandated standardized tests.

Holly Prast, advocacy and influence chair for the Wisconsin Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development, said when students return to school, the focus should be on acclimating them to the classroom environment. If testing is still mandated, that means teachers are going to have to spend time preparing for the test instead of on quality instruction.

Prast sent an email to U.S. senators and the U.S. Department of Education, urging lawmakers to grant a waiver that would negate requiring students to participate in these end-of-year exams.

“We implore you — please waive federal testing requirements for the 2019-20 school year,” she writes, noting that teachers and administrators need to be focused on figuring out how to help students learn from home. “Their energy should not have to be spent on worrying about testing.”

Though students have already taken the ACT exam, used to gauge college readiness, make-up exams were scheduled for this week. On top of that, students are scheduled to take the Wisconsin Forward Exam starting March 23 — which tests students in grades 3-8 in English and math, students in grades 4 and 8 in science, and students in grades 4, 8 and 10 in social studies.

According to the Office of Student Assessment, testing students for academic achievement is required by both state and federal law.

The Forward Exam would be administered through May 1, a timeframe that would put school districts on a crash course with COVID-19 directives to keep students home and completing online coursework.

Students can’t take the tests at home, Prast said. Devices have to be specially secured and proctors are required to be present. There won’t be much time once students return, either, because the DPI isn’t requiring that districts make up time lost, so long as they submit a waiver.

“Districts still need to request this waiver per state law, but the DPI will expedite this process to make it as easy as possible,” said Chris Bucher, communications specialist for the DPI.

Kim Brown, director of learning at Oshkosh school district, said students are going to need quality time with their teachers when they return to school.

“With students being involved in virtual learning for the next few weeks, we know how instrumental it will be for students to receive quality instruction from their teachers when they return,” she said. “We state testing takes place, it makes it difficult to schedule large blocks of learning.”

In the same vein, Rob Meyer, director of teaching and learning at Waupun Area School District, said this is a “special situation,” and noted that the validity of test results would be doubted because of the “lengthy school closures and gaps in learning.”

Prast added that some schools closed earlier than others, and comparing districts based on standardized test results is unfair. Those results show up on the state report cards, which next year will show a zero for districts who don’t have a waiver and opted not to administer the exam.

“We’re not trying to escape accountability,” Prast said. “We’re trying to be realistic, and we need to put our energy into kids and making sure kids learn.”

More information and school-related updates regarding the new coronavirus can be found on DPI’s website.