State superintendent's request for flexibility in standardized testing met with 'resistance' from federal government The U.S. Department of Education has yet to approve a waiver that could require fewer students to take federally mandated assessment testing. Author: Christine Pae (KING 5) Published: 10:44 PM PDT April 8, 2021 Updated: 10:44 PM PDT April 8, 2021 OLYMPIA, Wash. — A formal request for fewer Washington students to undergo federally mandated assessment testing has been met with some pushback, according to the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). As more public school students in Washington return to in-person learning in the coming days and weeks, OSPI has made efforts to reduce the burden of standardized testing for the 2020-2021 school year.