Utah State Board Of Education Will Suspend Testing For School Year
Mar 19, 2020, 1:40 PM
FILE: Getty Images
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Utah State Board of Education on Thursday announced it will suspend statewide testing for the year.
According to a statement from Darin Nielsen, assistant superintendent of student learning, the coronavirus pandemic prompted the decision to hold off on state assessments.
“(D)uring this extraordinary time, the health and safety, both individual and community, should be the focus of our energies and decision making,” according to the statement.
Nielsen wrote that “it is reasonable” to expect the COVID-19 pandemic to cause disruptions in daily routines, and the state could expect “impoverished data” if it were to resume testing following the increased anxiety and uneven access to technology and instructional services.
“In the meantime, we encourage schools to continue to focus on providing high-quality instruction that meets the individual needs of each student …” the statement reads.
Watch the Utah State Board of Education March 19 meeting here:
