U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos announced Friday that the U.S. Department of Education will waive standardized testing requirements for the school year.
Any state affected by the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic will be granted a waiver if officials submit a formal request, a news release stated.
So that announcement allows the Virginia Department of Education to cancel SOL testings – school districts need to file formal requests to the federal DOE.
“Neither students nor teachers need to be focused on high-stakes tests during this difficult time,” DeVos said in a statement. “Students are simply too unlikely to be able to perform their best in this environment. Our actions today provide turnkey flexibilities for state and local leaders to focus on the immediate needs of their students and educators without worrying about federal repercussions.”
On Tuesday, VDOE officials said it is considering how to create “maximum flexibility” for student testing during the coronoavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, according to a news release from the department.
RELATED STORIES:
- Coronavirus: Virginia Department of Education considers waivers for SOL testing
- National Guard activated: James City County coronavirus positive cases jumps to 19; Williamsburg has four; the state, 114
- WATA continues limited services amid local coronavirus outbreak
- Williamsburg Premium Outlets closed on Wednesday but some tenants remain open. Here’s what’s up
