GA Superintendent Suspends State Testing Amid Coronavirus

GEORGIA — As the coronavirus outbreak continues and many public schools are closed to ensure the safety of students and staff, State School Superintendent Richard Woods is suspending the following until further notice:

• State assessment window/administration (including Georgia Milestones EOGs and EOCs, the Georgia Alternate Assessment/GAA 2.0, and all other required testing)
• Teacher and leader evaluation (TKES/LKES) requirements and reporting
• State-level attendance-related consequences (including CCRPI, TKES/LKES, School Climate Star Rating, and make-up day requirements)

“Right now, schools’ focus needs to be on the safety of their students and staff,” Woods said. “The focus should be first and foremost on health and safety, then on flexible and creative ways to keep learning and growing. It’s common sense: testing and accountability requirements should not place an additional burden on students, parents, and educators during this time, and they will not in Georgia.”

See more:

• Coronavirus School Closings In Georgia: List
• 3rd Fulton Schools Employee Tests Positive For Coronavirus

At the State Board of Education meeting on March 27, which will be conducted via teleconference, Woods will recommend the approval of a package of waivers, including suspension of the 20 percent course grade requirement for the Georgia Milestones EOC.

The Georgia Department of Education will seek the maximum authority and waivers afforded by the U.S. Department of Education and other federal agencies to accommodate this ever-evolving situation. Click here for the most recent guidance from the U.S. Department of Education regarding assessment and accountability during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Updated information, including student learning resources and a tracking tool for school closures, can be found online at gadoe.org/coronavirus.

Don't miss updates about precautions in Georgia as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.

School Meals

Food insecurity for students who rely on school meals is a major concern if extended school closures become necessary, officials said. Late Thursday night, the Georgia Department of Education received word from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that two waivers have been approved to extend alternate meal service flexibility in the case of extended closures due to COVID-19.

This will allow schools to serve students' meals through USDA-approved meal service options, at state-approved sites within the community. This is similar to the way schools and districts offer student meals during the summer months.

As of Monday morning, 102 school district applications had been approved by Georgia Department of Education's school nutrition staff. Check local school district websites and social media sources for information on how to access local sites.

Schools across Georgia shut down due to the new coronavirus, which has nearly 100 cases in Georgia as of Sunday, leaving many students without meals. School districts have arranged for students to still get fed through drive-through services, mobile food buses and lunch drop-offs.

See more: GA Schools Offering Meals To Students During Coronavirus Closures

As of Sunday morning, one person in Cobb County has died from the respiratory virus, and the number of confirmed and presumed positive cases of COVID-19 rose from 66 on Saturday to 99 cases in 19 counties.

The state's lone fatality is a 67-year-old man who was hospitalized at WellStar Kennestone after testing positive for COVID-19 on March 7, authorities said. In addition to being infected with coronavirus disease, the victim also had underlying medical conditions, a news release said.

Globally, more than 169,000 people have been infected and more than 6,500 people have died from the new coronavirus, Johns Hopkins reported Monday morning. Of that total, more than 3,700 confirmed cases are in the United States. There have been 59 deaths in the U.S. have been tied to the virus outbreak.