Today, the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) released information concerning the Biden administration’s denial of South Carolina’s assessment waiver request and the granting of flexibility in administering assessments and waiving federal accountability requirements in light of COVID-19.

“I am disappointed that despite submitting a well thought out plan which would have given actionable testing data to educators and families, the Biden administration has denied South Carolina’s testing waiver request,” said State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman. “Assessments play an important role in  determining how students are faring and our proposal to use a series of interim tests that can be easily administered to all students - both virtual and face to face - would have provided educators and families with immediate, student centered results to drive instruction and deploy resources to support struggling learners. Unfortunately, as so often happens, Washington D.C. thinks they know best and now educators and students will be forced to spend an inordinate amount of time preparing, administering, and taking tests whose results won't be known for months, when they should be focused closing academic gaps and addressing the social and emotional needs of our students who have had the most stressful academic year ever.”

In light of the waiver denial and the testing and accountability flexibilities granted by the Biden administration, South Carolina College-and Career-Ready Assessments (SC READY) in English language arts and mathematics (grades 3-8), South Carolina Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (SCPASS) in science (grades 4 and 6), and End-of-Course examinations in Biology, Algebra, U.S. History and the Constitution, and English will be offered to all students. English Language Proficiency and alternate assessments will also be administered to students who meet the requisite criteria. The state assessment window will open on April 15 and all districts must offer the assessments within the last thirty days of the school year. 

However, since the USDE has approved the waiver surrounding the 95% testing requirement and other accountability measures related to end-of-the-year testing, there will be no penalty at the student, teacher, school, district or state level for a student who does not complete the applicable assessment(s). The USDE has stated that they “do not believe that if there are places where students are unable to attend school safely in person because of the pandemic that they should be brought into school buildings for the sole purpose of taking a test.” Thus, if a family believes it is unsafe for their child to attend school in person to take assessments, the SCDE and school districts will not require them to do so. 

“While we encourage all students to participate, we are relying on and empowering families to make the best decision for their child when it comes to end-of-the-year tests,” said Superintendent Spearman. “If a family determines that it is unsafe for a student to attend school for the sole purpose of taking a test, we will not penalize them, their teacher, or their school.”

For any student who does not participate in testing, school districts will continue to use interim assessment data to inform instruction, intervention, summer learning, and learning loss/unfinished learning plans for 2021-22 and beyond. 

The SCDE previously granted districts the authority to forego the twenty percent final grade requirement for End-of-Course exams. Non-federally required assessments related to college and career readiness have and will continue to be offered to students. These include Ready to Work, SAT, ACT, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and Cambridge.

The SCDE will report all available valid and reliable data, by subgroup, publicly on SCreportcards.com including those data specified in the USDE’s Feb. 22, 2021 notification.

Timeline of Events

June 22, 2020 - State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman announces at an AccelerateED press conference her decision to seek a waiver from the U.S. Department of Education from administering end of year tests and federal accountability measures.

June 25, 2020 - South Carolina General Assembly and Governor McMaster formally direct Superintendent Spearman to apply for assessment waiver and relief from accountability requirements through the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) by way of Act 142.

Summer 2020 - South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) notifies then U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos of intent to seek assessment waiver following required public comment

November 20, 2020 - SCDE submits formal waiver request to Secretary DeVos containing public comment from 33,621 South Carolinians and support from members of South Carolina’s federal delegation.

December 2020 - March 2021 - SCDE holds discussions with officials from USDE concerning the state’s waiver request and South Carolina’s robust interim assessment data and RALLY reporting tool.

February 22, 2021 - Ian Rosenblum, Acting Assistant Secretary, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, sends letter to Chief State School Officers detailing Biden administration’s stance on assessments. Includes provisions granting state’s flexibility in administering end of the year tests and inviting state’s to seek further waivers from federal accountability measures tied to assessments. 

March 11, 2021 - SCDE submits waiver for accountability, school identification, and related reporting requirements for the 2020-2021 school year to USDE. 

March 26, 2021 - Ian Rosenblum sends letter to Superintendent Spearman granting assessment flexibility and waiving federal accountability requirements. Rosenblum sent a separate letter denying South Carolina’s assessment waiver request from November 20, 2020.