BOE Meeting - Live 7PM
Port Jervis Learning Community,
Every spring, the Grades 3-8 English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, and Science Assessments are administered to students across New York State. The tests are designed to measure how well students are mastering the learning standards that guide classroom instruction and ensure that students are on track to graduate from high school with the critical thinking, problem-solving, and reasoning skills needed for college success and the modern workplace. The tests also show how schools and districts are progressing with the learning standards. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been several changes to the administration of these tests.
The New York State Education Department (NYSED) and the Board of Regents continue to make their primary focus the physical and mental health, safety, and well-being of the children and adults in our schools. NYSED and the Board of Regents have closely monitored the feasibility and fairness of administering the Grades 3–8 ELA, Mathematics, and Science Assessments this Spring.
NYSED submitted a formal request to the United States Department of Education (USDE) to waive state testing requirements at the elementary and middle school levels. Pending a decision from the USDE regarding NYSED’s waiver request, we are sharing the following information as a means to prepare to proceed with the Spring 2021 test administrations.
Being mindful of the variability in the manner that instruction is being provided to students across the state in response to COVID-19, NYSED provides schools much more flexibility than had been necessary for past years in the local in-school scheduling of the Spring 2021 operational tests. If USDE does not grant the assessment waiver request, the following will happen:
- NYSED has determined that it will not be possible to administer any of this year’s State assessments remotely and, if they occur, assessments will be “school-based” and “in-person.”
- For students who cannot participate in the test (Session 1) due to receiving entirely remote instruction during the entire testing window, schools will report this by marking the field “receiving entirely remote instruction.”
- Schools will be required to administer only Session 1 of the ELA and Mathematics Assessments to students. The questions will be multiple choice.
- Session 2 will be made available to schools strictly for their optional administration. At this time, Port Jervis City School District will not administer Session 2 of the State Assessments.
- Only the written section of the grade 4 and grade 8 science exams will be administered.
- The specific time and date of the state assessments will be communicated by your child’s building administrator.
(Tentative) 2021 State Test Dates
- ELA: April 19th-29th
- Math: May 3rd-14th
- Science: 4th and 8th Grade Written Test: June 7th-9th