News Briefs | FYI
April 12, 2021
Federal relief on testing requirements granted
The U.S. Department of Education has notified California that the state’s request for relief from certain federal testing, accountability, and reporting requirements has been granted, according to an April 7 CDE news release.
As granted, California’s waiver:
- Decouples state assessments from federal accountability requirements, as applicable. Instead, any data collected will be used to inform local educators, parents, and the public and align resources to student supports.
- Waives federal penalties for student testing participation rates of less than 95 percent on the state’s Smarter Balanced English language arts and math. Under the Every Student Succeeds Act, all states that receive federal funds for low-income students and English learners must assess annual learning progress in math, language arts, science, and English learner language proficiency, as applicable.
At its November meeting, the State Board of Education voted to approve shortened blueprints of the Smarter Balanced assessments in English language arts and math in order to administer shorter tests in these subjects during the 2020-21 school year.
The board also extended the window by which schools must complete test administration to July 30 for the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress, the English Language Assessments for California, which measures English learners’ progress toward language proficiency, and the California Science Test.
In a separate letter received last week, USDOE said California need not apply for another waiver, which the board contemplated, because California is administering all of its required assessments and expecting they will be used except in cases where local conditions make the administration of the tests not viable.
Per the State Board of Education’s approved plan, LEAs are permitted to use any assessment as long as the assessment meets all of the following requirements:
- Aligned with California Common Core State Standards for ELA and math.
- Available to assess students in grades 3-8 and 11.
- Uniformly administered across a grade span, school or district.
- Provides disaggregated results to parents, educators and the public.
For more information, visit the CDE’s FAQ at www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/ca/covid19assessmentfaq.asp.
FYI
Third Community of Practice forum will be April 30
Piecing It Together Virtually: A Community of Practice will be held from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Friday, April 30. Join the ACSA Curriculum Council and the Region 15 Comprehensive Center housed at WestEd for this third community of practice conversation. Education professionals from throughout the state will engage
in problem solving, sharing best practices, creating professional connections as resources and providing data to inform state-level policy. Visit bit.ly/3mk7oWG to register for this free event. ACSA membership is not required.
Networking event for co-administrators is April 13
ACSA will host a networking event for co-administrators, “Advancing your career: Expert advice to help keep you movin’ on up!” from 4-5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 13. Join a group of seasoned school leaders who will share their advice on what they look for when promoting: ACSA President Ron Williams (Victor Valley UHSD); Violet Gutierrez (San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools); Lynn Carmen Day (Upland USD); and Frank Miranda (Colton JUSD). Register at bit.ly/3urnTmX.
Enroll in ACSA’s preliminary credential program
Know a teacher leader who is ready to take the next step? Make sure they know about Leadership Institute, which offers aspiring leaders the opportunity to earn a Preliminary Ad-ministrative Services Credential. This program is offered by ACSA in partnership with the Sacramento County Office of Education. Deadline to apply for the June 2021 cohort has been extended to April 30. Visit acsa.org/credentialing for more information.