testing
Sobering test results confirm pandemic’s toll on state’s schoolchildren
State test results show that student learning suffered greatly last year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fewer than half of students – 45.4% – in grades K-12 passed state reading, math and science exams during the 2020-21 school year. The much-anticipated scores were released this week during the State Board of Education’s regular meeting.
UNC-Chapel Hill increasing testing frequency for unvaccinated
UNC-Chapel Hill will move to testing students not vaccinated against COVID-19 twice a week, the school announced Thursday. With students back in classes this week, the university is still acting on an “honor system” method whereby students attest to having been vaccinated but do not have to offer evidence. As of Thursday, the school said […]
A year without testing data aids charter schools seeking longer renewal schedules
Some schools seeking charter renewals might benefit from the suspension of state testing that followed the 2019-20 academic year. The tests were called off after the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to close for in-person instruction. That means achievement data isn’t available for that year to determine whether schools met state academic requirements. The Charter School Advisory […]
Duke health experts call for patience, testing, improved federal coordination in pandemic battle
Sudden reopening would jeopardize progress made thus far This is Day 50. It feels like Day 500. A new coronavirus, which technically isn’t even alive, has outwitted us. The COVID-19 pandemic has paralyzed the state and the nation, vanquished our economy and killed 40,000 people in the U.S. — including 235 in North Carolina — and another 131,000 worldwide, all of whom were loved by someone.
Governor: Key to easing restrictions starts with the three T’s
Gov. Roy Cooper is not ready to set a date for when North Carolina will lift restrictions and businesses can resume their normal operations. But Cooper signaled a path forward on Wednesday that would include testing, tracing and identifying trends. “Experts tell us it would be dangerous to lift our restrictions all at once. Rather […]
North Carolina public schools to stay closed through May 15; state requests testing waiver
North Carolina’s schools will not reopen before May 15 because of COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus. Gov. Roy Cooper announced Monday that he will sign an executive order to extend school closures until the threat of the contagious virus has subsided. The governor announced March 16 that schools would be closed two weeks for 1.5 million North Carolina students in grades K-12. But few thought […]
State lab can test 1,300 people for COVID-19; health director says, “We’ll see more cases”
State health officials are recommending that North Carolinians follow federal guidelines for mass gatherings — no more than 50 people — but that is not yet legally enforceable. Gov. Roy Cooper recently signed an executive order prohibiting mass gatherings of 100 people are more; local sheriff’s departments and police can enforce that order. The Centers […]
Students will take fewer tests under bill signed into law by Gov. Cooper
Hurricane Dorian gave many North Carolina school children a day off from school this week. But Gov. Roy Cooper gave them something better when he signed Senate Bill 621, into law. The new law reduces the number of state exams students must take. “North Carolina needs to be able to assess how our schools are performing […]
Senate committee gave nods to K-12 bills, including Read to Achieve reboot
The Senate wrapped up last week by sending several key K-12 education bills to the rules committee, including one aimed at retooling the state’s controversial early childhood literacy initiative, Read to Achieve. After spending more than $150 million on Read to Achieve since 2012, Senate leaders have acknowledged the program hasn’t lived up to expectation. […]
Residents living near Chemours Fayetteville Works plant invited to participate in state GenX health study
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Bladen and Cumberland county health departments plan to test the blood and urine of up to 30 residents living near Chemours’ Fayetteville Works facility for the presence of GenX and 16 other per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also […]
New report: U.S. students trail their global peers in math, science
There’s some good news and some not-so-good news coming from a new report ranking countries’ K-12 education efforts in math and science. First, the good news: In math and science, United States students appear to be making strides, according to the Associated Press. Yet U.S. pupils continue to trail their peers, particularly children in East […]
Majority of public school parents don’t support linking teacher evals to student test scores
An annual poll surveying the public about American education found that the majority of public school parents aren’t a fan of the idea that teachers should be evaluated on the basis of their students’ standardized test scores. From the Associated Press: The Gallup Poll released Sunday found 55 percent opposed linking teacher evaluations to their […]