Pennsylvania Department of Education announces cancellation of statewide assessments due to coronavirus outbreak
(Pixabay)
PHILADELPHIA - The Pennsylvania Department of Education announced Thursday that PSSA testing, Keystone exams and the Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment (PASA) have been canceled for the 2019-20 school year in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
“Our school communities are operating within unprecedented conditions,” said Secretary of Education Pedro A. Rivera. “Schools are making extraordinary efforts to remain connected to students and families, to provide food service and to put appropriate systems in place to continue student learning. Assessments should not be the focus of school leaders right now. “To be clear, all assessments are cancelled for this year,” he added. “The department will submit the requisite waivers to the U.S. Department of Education (USDE), but no schools in the Commonwealth will be administering these tests this year.”
– PSSA testing was scheduled to begin April 20.
– Keystone testing was scheduled to begin May 11.
– The PASA testing window is open; however, all testing was halted on Monday, March 16, when all public schools closed.
Pennsylvania health officials on Thursday announced 52 more cases of coronavirus, raising the statewide total to 185. Gov. Tom Wolf reported on Wednesday Pennsylvania's first COVID-19 related death. The patient was an adult from Northampton County who was hospitalized with coronavirus. No additional information was released about the patient.
FULL COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS
___
For the latest local news, sports and weather, download the FOX 29 News app.
DOWNLOAD: FOX 29 NEWS APP