Acting Education Secretary Noe Ortega announced Friday that the department has submitted a letter to the U.S. Department of Education confirming that Pennsylvania will allow public schools the option to postpone federally required academic achievement and English learner proficiency tests until the fall. âSince the start of this pandemic, our work has been centered on protecting the health and safety of students, educators, and school staff across the state,â said Ortega. âOur decision to extend the testing window continues to prioritize their health and safety and creates needed flexibilities for our unique school communities.â Acknowledging the challenges the COVID-19 global pandemic is creating for schools, the Department of Education is allowing local education agencies (LEAs) to administer assessments, like the English learner proficiency tests and other federal standardized tests, either this spring or in the fall of 2021.