The U.S. Department of Education (USED) will require states to administer a statewide assessment for the 2020-2021 school year, the agency announced on Feb. 22. The decision comes after many states have requested a waiver of the testing requirement due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. âTo be successful once schools have re-opened, we need to understand the impact COVID-19 has had on learning and identify what resources and supports students need,â said Ian Rosenblum, acting assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education, in a letter to education commissioners throughout the country. âWe must also specifically be prepared to address the educational inequities that have been exacerbated by the pandemic, including by using student learning data to enable states, school districts, and schools to target resources and supports to the students with the greatest needs.â