New York Education Dept. Seeking Comments About Spring Exams

Just when we were wondering if New York State would cancel the rest of this year's Regents exams like they did this past November, officials from the State Education Department are seeking comments about all of the spring standardized testing.

In the press release that the NYSED released this past Monday where officials announced that they formally requested a waiver from the requirements of the Federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), officials also have requested comments from the public about this.

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) is seeking input from stakeholders about the need for additional flexibility related to certain provisions of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) pertaining to administration of State assessments in spring 2021 and identification of schools and districts for improvement.
-New York State Education Department

In addition to the comments they are asking for, the Education Department also released a short survey for them to gather information about how people feel about the testing this year. The survey has questions like what tests should be skipped this spring?

If you want to submit comments, you can send NYSED an e-mail with ESSA Comments from (sender/organization name) in the subject line. They are accepting comments until Frirday, February 5th. You can also click here to get to the survey.

I think this is a good move by NYSED. With all of the anxiety surrounding schools, our kids, and COVID-19, taking the time to hear from the people who are impacted by this is a step in the right direction.