In response to Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) has submitted a request to the U.S. Department of Education (US ED) to waive certain requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA, section 1111) related to accountability and reporting requirements.

On March 23, 2020, US ED gave notification to DEED that the wavier will be approved. As a result, schools that were identified for support in the 2019-2020 school year will maintain their identification status. Additionally, many federal requirements related to the Report Card that uses data from the 2019-2020 school year have been waived. This includes:

• Percentage of students assessed and not assessed
• Assessment results (including English language proficiency assessment results)
• Number and percentage of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities taking an alternate assessment
• Accountability system description
• Other academic indicator results (academic growth)
• School quality or student success indicator results (chronic absenteeism, Grade 3 ELA)
• Progress toward meeting long-term goals and measurements of interim progress

The public may submit comment on this waiver by completing the Assessment and Accountability Waiver Public Comment Survey. The survey will remain open until May 6, 2020.