NC Department of Public Instruction seeks State Board’s approval for in-person standardized testing during remote learning

image by Nan Fulcher

As North Carolina’s schools prepare to begin a year that will be anything but standard, Department of Public Instruction (DPI) staff will propose at Wednesday’s meeting of the State Board of Education that school districts be able to administer in-person standardized testing, even in cases where the district is operating in Plan C due to dangerously high levels of community COVID spread.

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DPI’s recommendation is that the State Board “approve for the 2020–21 school year that for the  beginning-of-grade 3, the end-of-grade and the end-of-course assessments, remote learning students will participate at an on-site location as determined by the public school unit.”

The proposal is being presented for Action on First Reading, with DPI staff noting that it would be “beneficial to approve prior to the beginning of the 2020–21 school year.”

The recommendation does say that districts may elect to delay testing until students return to school but emphasizes the importance of testing for informing stakeholders on student mastery of content and school performance.

You can view Wednesday’s presentation materials in their entirety below.

The meeting begins at 10 AM and will be livestreamed here.

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7 thoughts on “NC Department of Public Instruction seeks State Board’s approval for in-person standardized testing during remote learning

  1. No, absolutely not!! If children aren’t in the building full time, they should not be given EOGs and EOCs. It is about so much more than a test. Do what is best for students!!!

  2. Can we just try to get to the other side of this without the standardized tests? There are more important things to consider at this time.

  3. I’m confused.
    Doesn’t the VA (Virtual Academy) provide and employ it’s own assessments (both formative and summative) consistently?
    Unless I’m missing something, this should provide the necessary information for stakeholders.

    “The recommendation does say that districts may elect to delay testing until students return to school but emphasizes the importance of testing for informing stakeholders on student mastery of content and school performance.”

  4. Absolutely not! This is ridiculous. The children aren’t going to have a normal year. Stop adding to the problem. Use some common sense.

  5. This is insane! School schedules and operating systems aren’t standardized at all this year but you are going to give standardized tests! You need to take a standardized test on common sense! Stop the testing insanity and let the kids just merely try to survive life this year. They are already anxious and off kilter from the COVID way if life. The last thing we need to do is put more pressure on them. Instead we need to be more concerned about their mental health and general well being!

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