Copyright © 2021 Albuquerque Journal
The U.S. Department of Education has given New Mexico the green light to take some of the pressure off spring testing this school year.
The state Public Education Department announced this week that the feds have approved New Mexico’s request to waive accountability requirements normally in place, including testing 95% of all students.
“(That) means no student, school or district will be graded, rated or ranked based on this year’s test scores,” PED officials wrote in a news release.
The state won’t have to use this year’s data to identify schools for extra support and students will take standardized tests “to the greatest extent possible.”
The aim of the testing is to give parents and teachers an insight into learning following a year dominated by remote schooling because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This waiver will allow New Mexico educators to get the student achievement data we need to guide accelerated learning programs without adding stressful consequences at the end of an already stressful school year,” Public Education Secretary Ryan Stewart said in a statement.
Last year, a federal decision waived testing because of the pandemic.
