TALLAHASSEE --- In a win for advocates of English-language learners, Florida is allowing students to opt out of taking an annual English proficiency exam that is administered in person.
The state Department of Education also is expanding the window of time for K-12 public-school students to take the test, if they choose to do so.
Jacob Oliva, the chancellor of Florida鈥檚 public school system, announced the changes Thursday in a letter to school district superintendents.
Oliva鈥檚 decision came after advocacy groups asked state officials to delay what鈥檚 known as the ACCESS test, an in-person evaluation that measures English-language learners鈥� proficiency, because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The state education department 鈥渉ighly recommends that all ELL students participate in the ACCESS test,鈥� Oliva wrote, but will 鈥渇ully respect the decisions that families make should they choose not to send their children to take this assessment.鈥�
Alianza Center, a non-profit organization that advocates for Puerto Ricans and other Hispanics in the state, and LULAC Florida launched a petition earlier this month urging state Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran to postpone the in-person assessments due to coronavirus safety concerns.
The ACCESS testing window began on Monday and was slated to end on March 19. But the exam now will be offered through May 28 --- effectively until the end of the school year in most school districts.
"This is proof of what we can accomplish when our community is united and committed to the safety of our public school students and families," Alianza Center executive director Johanna L贸pez said in a press release issued Friday.
Lopez, who also serves on the Orange County school board, told The News Service of Florida that it was 鈥渧ery important鈥� for the testing window to be expanded and that parents鈥� choices be respected.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 something that I highly appreciate,鈥� she said in a phone interview Friday.
While the Department of Education is giving students and their families a way out of taking the ACCESS test for now, Oliva emphasized the exam鈥檚 importance in gauging English learners鈥� progress.
鈥淭o that end, it is critical that your families be advised that the results of this assessment inform the services their school district provides to their children,鈥� Oliva wrote in Thursday鈥檚 email to school superintendents. 鈥淎bsent these assessment results, their services will lack critical guidance and may fail to address the needs of these students.鈥�
Oliva also directed superintendents to open testing centers in their districts to administer the ACCESS test to English learners who are currently attending school online. His message also told district officials to inform students about safety protocols at testing centers, and to 鈥渓et them know if you are opening testing facilities on evenings and weekends.鈥�
L贸pez said she agrees with Oliva about the exam鈥檚 importance, in part because 鈥渨e can provide more services if we see that that student is not improving in English-language acquisition.鈥�
However, she said giving families options is the right move at this time.
鈥淚 think we have to be creative in how we assess our students during this pandemic, because safety comes first,鈥� L贸pez said. 鈥淲e usually think about testing when we think about evaluation, but there are many ways to evaluate a student.鈥�
According to the Department of Education website, Florida has more than 265,000 English-language learner students, who speak more than 300 languages.
L贸pez said a conversation with one of her counterparts at LULAC led to a key development in garnering support for the advocacy groups鈥� petition --- offering the online proposal in Spanish as well as English.
鈥淎t that moment, we did not have enough information in Spanish,鈥� L贸pez said.
She said the advocacy organizations are discussing offering all future communications in languages commonly used by Florida鈥檚 English-learning students.
鈥淲e鈥檙e reaching out to the families whose first language is Spanish. The majority of our ELLs (English-language learners) in Florida speak Spanish, and the second largest group are Haitian,鈥� L贸pez said. 鈥淲e are thinking, every single time that we are trying to educate our community, or asking for any type of initiative, service or program, it would be better for our children to have information in all three languages --- English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole.鈥�
