UPDATED 4/1/20, 12:10 am EDT
The coronavirus is closing tens of thousands of schools across the country (see EdWeek鈥檚 map for the latest). Most states have closed all their schools statewide. These moves to stem the spread of the virus have rippled through every facet of school life, and assessment is one of the big pieces that has been thrown into disarray.
States are required to get federal permission to suspend or cancel statewide tests, since they鈥檙e required by federal law. The because of the 鈥渆xtraordinary circumstance鈥� of the coronavirus.
On March 20, the department that lets most states bypass all federal testing requirements. By March 31, it granted initial approval of assessment waivers for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Bureau of Indian Education.
We started by posting a short list of states that had cancelled testing or were seeking waivers. As kept you updated, the list grew longer. And within three weeks, the entire national testing landscape had changed.
Alabama: U.S. Department of Education granted initial approval of testing waiver
Alaska: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Arizona: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Arkansas: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Bureau of Indian Education: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
California: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Colorado: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Connecticut: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Delaware: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
District of Columbia: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Florida: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Georgia: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Hawaii: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Idaho: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Illinois: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Indiana: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Iowa: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Kansas: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Kentucky: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Louisiana: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Maine: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Maryland: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Massachusetts: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Michigan: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Minnesota: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Mississippi: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Missouri: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Montana: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Nebraska: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Nevada: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
New Hampshire: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
New Jersey: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
New Mexico: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
New York: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
North Carolina: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
North Dakota: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Ohio: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Oklahoma: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Oregon: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Pennsylvania: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Puerto Rico: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Rhode Island: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
South Carolina: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
South Dakota: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Tennessee: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Texas: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Utah: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Vermont: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Virginia: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Washington: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
West Virginia: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Wisconsin: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Wyoming: U.S. DOE granted initial approval of testing waiver
Image: AP Photo/Alex Brandon, file, edited by EdWeek