Last week, the U.S. Department of Education conditionally approved Colorado’s plan for the state assessments that students in grades three through 11 will take this spring, based on the unique circumstances Colorado schools and school districts are facing as a result of the pandemic.
Under the plan approved by the USDE, schools and districts will be required to administer the Colorado Measures of Academic Success assessments in English language arts to all students in third, fifth and seventh grades. CMAS math assessments must be administered to all students in fourth, sixth and eighth grades. This plan for assessments for this year only will provide some relief for students, families, and educators after a challenging year for education amid a global pandemic.
Parents and caregivers who want to know how their children are progressing in both English language arts and math may have their children take both tests. School districts and schools should notify parents and caregivers about how students may take assessments in both subject areas.
The USDE did not approve Colorado’s request to suspend all science tests this year, so schools and districts must administer science tests to students in eighth grade. CMAS science will not be given to students in fifth and 11th grades, as they normally would, but CDE must publicly report the SAT Analysis in Science subscore this year. Social studies tests, which are required only in state law, will not be given this year.
“In the spirit of collaboration, Colorado educators, school districts, advocacy organizations, legislators, and the department of education came together to create a solution that serves students, and provides some relief after a challenging academic year,” said Governor Jared Polis. “We are grateful to work with the Biden administration and the U.S. Department of Education on this bipartisan effort, which will allow us to understand how to best support students moving forward, while balancing the extraordinary circumstances of the pandemic and our state’s goal of continued in-person instruction. Our schools can now complete the spring semester in-person with clarity, as we take steps as a community to return to a more normal school year in the fall.”
The reduced assessment requirements are for this spring only. They were requested following the approval of House Bill 21-1161 which brought together a broad contingent of legislators, education associations, school districts, and the Colorado Department of Education to find a solution aimed to reduce testing requirements because of the unique circumstances of the school year caused by the global pandemic. This year has created unprecedented challenges for students and educators, and this announcement provides some relief as the 2020-21 school year comes to a close.
“After an immensely challenging year for our students and educators, we brought stakeholders from all sides together and found a balanced, unique-to-Colorado solution to ease testing burdens,” said Rep. Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango. “While we didn’t get everything we wanted, the federal government approved our balanced and well-crafted solution today. Colorado’s students and educators will be much better for it.”
“Educators across Colorado are pleased that the U.S. Department of Education recognized that full-scale standardized testing this year would be not only completely unnecessary, but also harmful to students struggling to survive the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Amie Baca-Oehlert, president of the Colorado Education Association. “Students and educators have been bouncing between in-person, virtual and hybrid learning depending on the COVID-19 conditions in their community for a year now. The last thing students need is to have the brakes slammed on learning to accommodate several weeks of standardized testing.”
For more information about CMAS assessments this spring, visit CDE’s resources for parents.