A number of student activities and requirements have been canceled due to the restrictions and limitations of remote learning and the “Safer at Home Order.” 

On March 17,  Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order to waive statewide testing requirements for the 2019–20 academic years. The tests were officially canceled on March 23.

“This time is stressful enough for students, families and educators without the additional burden of annual testing,” said Governor Newsom

These tests include the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress and California Science Test. According to the California Department of Education, the purpose of CAASPP and CAST is to assist teachers, administrators, students and parents by promoting high-quality teaching and learning through the use of a variety of assessment approaches and item types.

“Teachers are being asked to scale back curriculum in response to the many changes we are all facing, so testing students on a predetermined set of standards would be unfair,” Assistant Principal Natalie Smith wrote to the Talon.

The administration is not worried about the absence of the test since there are other measurements such as the SAT, ACT and GPA that can be used for similar purposes. They are receiving regular updates from the CDE, and are waiting for more information, but Buchanan says it’s possible that the juniors who were supposed to take the assessments will take them next year as seniors.

“If that’s the case, we might have to test two grade levels next year,” Buchanan wrote.

The use of CAASP results on the CA Dashboard and as course prerequisites at some schools will have to be shifted.

“There are many consequences of canceling testing, some already known but many yet to be understood,” Smith wrote.