Indiana announces delays in standardized testing of students

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indiana is delaying standardized testing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, said an official with the state Department of Education.

Charity Flores, the state’s director of student assessments, said in a note to Indiana school superintendents and district’s test coordinators:

— Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress-Plus (ISTEP-Plus) test will suspended. ISTEP-Plus measures students’ mastery of basic skills, particularly reading, writing, and mathematics.

— Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination (IREAD-3) will be postponed. The test measures reading standards in third-graders each spring.

Also, Flores said, Gov. Eric Holcomb and the U.S. Department of Education have also been asked to consider postponing the Indiana Learning Evaluation Assessment Readiness Network (ILEARN) test and Indiana’s Alternate Measure (I AM) test.

ILEARN measures student achievement and growth based on the state’s academic standards. It is not set to begin until April 20.

I AM assesses students with significant cognitive disabilities in Grades 3-10 in mathematics, English language, science and mathematics.

Holcomb indicated in an interview with News 8 that he was open to those suggestions and had been working with Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Jennifer McCormick as late as Thursday afternoon on these issues.

“We’re working through that right now,” Gov. Holcomb said.

The Department of Education released this statement to News 8:

“For what it’s worth, with the pressure our schools are already facing navigating the COVID-19 outbreak, the last thing our schools need is the undue burden of preparing and administering statewide assessments, especially during a hold harmless year. Therefore, Dr. McCormick is seeking full forgiveness from all statewide assessments and will continue to pursue this available avenue from Governor Holcomb and the US Department of Education.”