Following an announcement from the U.S. Department of Education inviting states to request waivers from federal assessment requirements, State School Superintendent Richard Woods affirmed that the Georgia Department of Education will immediately apply for a waiver from assessment requirements in 2020.

Educators, parents, and students can expect that no state testing – to include Georgia Milestones, GAA 2.0, and GKIDS – will be administered in Georgia this year.

On March 16, Superintendent Woods suspended the state assessment window along with teacher and leader evaluation requirements and state-level, attendance-related consequences.

“It has been become more and more clear that there is not a realistic path to administer state tests this year, and Georgia and other states have urged the federal government to make waivers available,” Superintendent Woods said. “I thank them for doing so and Georgians can be assured we will seek the maximum flexibility available. Students, parents, and educators should be spending this time learning, growing, and weathering this storm together – not preparing for a test.”

At the State Board of Education’s called meeting on March 23, Superintendent Woods will recommend a package of waivers for school districts, including suspension of the 20% course grade requirement for the Georgia Milestones EOC.