After a wave of calls to delay the mandated STAAR tests beginning in April, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Monday he waived testing requirements for the school year.

“Your health and safety are top priorities, and the state of Texas will give school districts flexibility to protect and ensure the health of students, faculty, and their families,” Abbott said in a statement. “We will empower schools to make the best decisions to protect their communities from COVID-19.”

Dozens of schoolsacross Texas recently announced closures through early April in light of the coronavirus’ spread, and Abbott said he is also requesting that the U.S. Department of Education waive federal testing requirements for the 2019-2020 school year.

Abbott’s announcement follows a growing number of calls to delay and suspend the test for the school year.School districts andmore thana dozenstate lawmakersexpressed support orsent letters to Mike Morath, the commissioner of the Texas Education Agency, over the weekend in the wake of school closures.

Ina statement shortly after Abbott’s announcement, Morath said that under normal circumstances STAAR test serves as an invaluable tool.

“This year, though, it has become apparent that schools will be unable to administer STAAR as they would normally. TEA has already waived a host of regulations, allowing schools to quickly pivot to provide instruction and support in ways they never have before,” Morath said in the statement. “We are thankful for Governor Abbott’s willingness to waive the STAAR testing requirement, as it allows schools the maximum flexibility to remain focused on public health while also investing in the capacity to support student learning remotely.”

On Saturday, TEA said it was in the process of finalizing changes, and in aconference call Sunday with lawmakers and superintendents, Morath acknowledged the need to adjust STAAR test requirements, Rep. Erin Zwiener, a Democrat from Driftwood who was on the call, wrote onTwitter.

However, depending on the virus’ spread, schools could be closed “for many weeks or potentially months,” Rep. Jared Patterson, a Republican from Frisco,wrote on Facebook summarizing Sunday’s call.

“We are likely looking at large numbers of students being out of school for a long period of time or even for the balance of the school year. If so, testing will be a moot point,” Patterson wrote.

In an email Monday, Clint Bond a spokesman for Fort Worth ISD, wrote that at this time schools within the district are still closed until March 30.

“Any change to that plan will be made with advice from Tarrant County Public Health and other medical professionals. Such a decision will be announced when, and if, it is made,” Bond wrote.

More than 50 districtssent a letter of their own Saturday, and apetition circulated online to cancel the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, more commonly known as STAAR tests.

“With so many unknowns surrounding how Texas schools will need to move forward with the potential spread of COVID-19, it would seem prudent to eliminate one of the most stressful circumstances that is facing not only our educators but our students and their families as well — preparing for the STAAR,” Sen. Beverly Powell, a Democrat from Burleson who has been critical of the tests before,wrote in a letter Saturday.

Rep. Matt Krause, a Republican from Fort Worth,stressed in a letter that the tests wouldn’t be a fair assessment under the circumstances and that students and teachers’ focus once they return “should be on education, not teaching to a test — especially in an expedited timeframe.”

In a statement Monday, the Texas State Teachers Association urged Abbott and Morath to seek a federal waiver from testing requirements, or at the very least suspend grade promotions, graduation requirements and school accountability ratings that are tied to test results.

On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Educationsaid it would consider waiving federal testing requirements and loosening other rules related to attendance for schools.

“However, due to the unique circumstances that may arise as a result of COVID-19, such as a school closing during the entire testing window, it may not be feasible for a State to administer some or all of its assessments, in which case the Department would consider a targeted one-year waiver of the assessment requirements for those schools impacted by the extraordinary circumstances,”the memo read.

For years STAAR tests have faced pushback from parents, some of whom have joined a growing movementof opposing standardized tests and having their kids sit out the mandated assessments. Critics of the STAAR tests have argued they are too difficult and hold too much weight because of their ability to determine teacher effectiveness, whether a student is promoted, and how they play a role in whether a school is taken over by the state.

STAAR tests have been administered in the wake of disasters before. Following Hurricane Harvey’s destruction of the Texas coast in 2017, STAAR tests werestill administered as planned — even in districts hit hardest by the storm.

At the time,Morath had argued that if the tests were canceled the state could lose its federal funding if it wasn’t granted a waiver. While the testing dates weren’t moved, TEA later allowed certain campuses and schools affected by Hurricane Harveyto be eligible for a special evaluation in the state’s overhauled school accountability system — which is determined in part by STAAR test scores.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

This story was originally publishedMarch 16, 2020 at 8:54 AM.

Tessa Weinberg

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Tessa Weinberg was a state government reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.