Standardized testing in Maryland schools can wait

Maryland students were slated to take new standardized tests last year — before COVID hit. The tests replace previous assessments, known as PARCC, that were criticized as taking up too much classroom time and as too difficult for students to pass. But, like many other things, the pandemic also disrupted plans for the rollout of the new Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program. With students thrown into the precarious world of virtual learning, the state school system correctly decided that it was no longer the best time to implement new testing. There were other basics to worry about, such as if children had internet to log onto classes. But now Maryland State School Superintendent Karen Salmon, the state school board and the federal education department think students are ready to take at least some of the tests.