Florida superintendents seek 'flexibility' on standardized testing for students

Parents wonder if this school year was a bust

Studies show students nationwide have learned less this school year, relative to other years, because of the pandemic. Some Florida lawmakers are considering whether there should be options for parents and students to minimize the impacts, long-term.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Florida superintendents on Wednesday urged state officials to ask the federal government for waivers when it comes to standardized testing for the current academic school year. To put it simply, district leaders want schools to have the option to throw out standardized test scores, citing a need for flexibility during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pinellas County superintendent Michael Grego also serves as president of the Florida Association of District School Superintendents. In a letter to state education commissioner Richard Corcoran, Grego said that while there must be testing to see how COVID-19 is impacting learning, something must give in terms of how proctors administer the tests and how the results are used.

Superintendents are urging the state to go after the federal testing waivers because of how the pandemic has disrupted learning.

"Many students and staff members have missed time at school due to the illness itself or mandatory quarantine periods of up to two weeks at a time," Grego wrote.

READ: Lawmakers consider in-state tuition for Floridians' out-of-state grandkids

District leaders said student engagement continues to be a challenge, with many of them struggling in various online platforms. Lack of broadband internet access is one of the main reasons.

"Others have not been attending school in any form," Grego said, "and some have only recently started back in the brick-and-mortar setting. Finally, with social distancing requirements and many teachers simultaneously teaching to kids both in the classroom and at home, there have been fewer opportunities for individual interactions with students as teachers remain at the front of the classroom."

In addition to this ask from superintendents to the education commissioner, there is currently a bill in the legislature that would eliminate the use of test scores to keep third-graders from being promoted or keep a high school student from graduating. It would also cancel school grades this year.

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