Supt. Hofmeister applauds US Department of Education approval of waiver to eliminate double-testing

OKLAHOMA CITY (Feb. 10, 2015) — At the request of the Oklahoma State Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Education today approved that middle school students testing in Algebra I, Algebra II or Geometry are no longer required to also take the grade-level math assessment for middle school.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister said this decision, which applies to the 2014-15 school year, eliminates double-testing for some students in the subject of mathematics.

“Until this request was granted today, Oklahoma students in seventh and eighth grade were required to take the state grade-level math assessment, as well as the end-of-instruction tests for those student enrolled in Algebra I, Algebra II or Geometry. This double-testing would have penalized those students enrolled in advanced math courses by subjecting them to increased and excessive testing this year,” said Hofmeister. “This decision is another step forward in our commitment to reduce excessive testing.”

Proficiency on the Algebra I end-of-instruction, or EOI, test is a graduation requirement of the Achieving Classroom Excellence law, enacted in 2005, and also satisfies a federal testing requirement.

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