Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister announced today that the State Department of Education plans to pursue a federal waiver to suspend statewide student assessments for the 2019-20 school year.

Hofmeister said the reasoning for this movement is to help teachers move their focus from assessment to essential services, including child nutrition and planning the education of children through alternative delivery methods.

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires each state to administer academic assessments in English language arts, mathematics and science in grades 3-8 as well as once in high school. The U.S. Department of Education has previously indicated it would consider waiver requests from states with widespread closures related to the spread of COVID-19.