The following message was emailed to all Ichabod Crane families on Thursday, January 28.
All previous school reopening news and COVID-19 updates can be found on the district’s Reopening Information page here.
The New York State Education Department (NYSED) recently announced that it is seeking public comment on draft waivers they plan to submit to the U.S. Department of Education to cancel state assessments this spring and some related accountability calculations due to the “ongoing pandemic.”
“Throughout the pandemic, the Board’s priority has been the physical and mental health, safety, and well-being of the children and adults in our schools,” said Board of Regents Chancellor Lester W. Young, Jr. “In light of the ongoing pandemic, we have determined that the Spring 2021 state assessments cannot be safely, equitably and fairly administered to students in schools across the state and, therefore, are seeking these waivers.”
Due to the pandemic, the Board of Regents canceled last year’s Grades 3-8 Math and ELA exams, and the June 2020, August 2020 and January 2021 Regents Exams.
We are strongly encouraging all stakeholders to complete the brief survey from NYSED here regarding the 2020-21 school year student assessment and school accountability processes. As part of the survey, teachers, staff, parents, community members and others can identify which state assessments they believe should or should not be administered this spring.
In addition, comments on the draft waivers may be e-mailed to ESSAComments@nysed.gov with “ESSA Comments from (sender/organization name)” in the subject line. Comments will be accepted through February 5, 2021.
The Ichabod Crane Central School District will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.
Resources:
- Proposed Federal Waivers for State Assessments and Accountability Requirements Now Available for Public Comment (NYS Education Department)
- Full Text of Proposed Waiver Requests
- Stakeholder Survey