Dear friends,

Thank you for taking the time to add your voice to the North Carolina Families for School Testing Reform (NCFaSTR) petition against mandatory in-person exams during the COVID-19 pandemic. As of December 17, 2020, you have joined over 8,100 North Carolinians in calling our leaders to prioritize safety over test scores. 

On Wednesday, December 9th, NCFaSTR and our co-sponsors hosted “Stop Mandatory In-Person Testing During COVID-19: An Online Student and Parent Empowerment Event.” We heard from families facing the stress of choosing between taking End of Course (EOC) exams and Career and Technical (CTE) Assessments. Pastor Antonio Blow, a parent of two high school students and school administrator, shared that his family chose to remain virtual for safety and should not have to choose between a possible failing grade or risking COVID-19 infection by taking the test in person. We also learned from Susan Book (NCFaSTR Founding Member & Save Our Schools North Carolina Co-Founder) how all North Carolina students and families can work for change--both immediately to address the imminent in-person exams across the state, and longer-term to address systemic issues with school testing. 

Feel free to watch the recording of the virtual event and share it with your connections. Also, we have compiled a list of action steps (see below) for you and your community to consider in addressing the issue of in-person high school EOC and CTE testing. 

Sincerely, 

NCFaSTR

What Parents Advocates Can Do

Although it is our wish that all in-person EOC and CTE testing be cancelled outright, we present the current options outlined by the North Carolina State Board of Education. The Board's position is that, short of the Federal government waiving the required tests, in-person testing must be carried out - no exceptions.

The State Board of Education has given districts the following options for the required in-person EOC and CTE testing:  

Delay the Test.  A student can take an incomplete for the course and take the test at a later time.
Adjust the Grading Scale.  Districts can set a minimum grade for EOC and CTE exams, thereby minimizing the impact of disrupted learning on student test performance.
 So What Do We Do Now?

Start with your principal and your own PTA 
Find out the high school EOC/CTE testing schedule and rules for your specific district.  Some schools only allow students to delay into January while others offer the extensions into June.

Relay information to your PTA: 1) ask them to spread the word to help make other parents aware of the testing options, and 2) to rally support for advocacy via your local school board and state-wide.

Advocate at the level of your school district.  
Ask your local school board to allow the maximum flexibility allowable by the State School Board for EOC and CTE testing.  Ask for 1) the most generous scheduling delay possible, and 2) an increase in the EOC and CTE grading scale minimum --setting the minimum up to 100 if possible.

On 12-10-2020, the Board of Durham Public Schools voted to set the EOC and CTE grading scale at 90-100. Students can delay exams through June 2021, and they will be guaranteed a minimum grade of 90 when they choose to take the exam.

Advocate at the State Board of Education level
The North Carolina State Board of Education could

1) mandate a statewide delay of testing, or

2) decrease the amount that the EOC/CTE score counts toward a student's grade for the course. The current 20% weighting set by the state is believed necessary to give sufficient incentive for student participation, which in turn, allows the state to meet the 95% participation level mandated by the Federal government. However, we feel a 20% weighting on EOC/CTE exams is an unfair burden for students that have experienced non-standard conditions in their coursework and will be subjected to non-standard testing conditions due to the COVID-19 epidemic.

Send the members of the State Board of Education a message to let them know your position on in-person testing: 

Contacts for the State Board of Education 

Advocacy Form from the Superintendent's Office.

Advocate at the Governor’s Office
The Governor has authority over issues that pertain to public safety, particularly on whether it is safe to bring in so many students into a building right now. Contact for Gov. Cooper

Advocate at the Federal Level
The North Carolina State Board of Education plans to request a waiver for testing from the Federal government but it is likely to be rejected -- as has already happened with the request by the State of Georgia earlier this month. However, we as individuals can do our part too. Ask for a waiver of testing:   https://www2.ed.gov/about/contacts/gen/index.html

The good news is there is no bad way to advocate. Send an email, send a tweet, give the official a call. All forms are valid and all forms make a difference. By advocating together we show our officials we are united in this cause. Our stories matter, our voices matter, our officials need to hear from us.