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OKCPS delays NWEA testing; officials say IEP accommodations and equipment will be provided
Summary
Oklahoma City Public Schools moved its NWEA testing window back one week after state testing-number problems; district leaders said they will provide required equipment and follow IEP/504 accommodations and will communicate with families.
Oklahoma City Public Schools announced a one-week delay to its NWEA testing window after the state reported problems assigning testing identification numbers, district leaders said at the Aug. 25 board meeting.
Superintendent Jamie Polk told the board the district will move the NWEA window back a week “due to, some information or lack of information from the state department.” Polk said the district will provide any equipment students need for testing and that schools had just received the clarifying state guidance.
Dr. Sean Ross, senior executive director of support and accountability, said the problem involved missing state testing numbers that function like a Social Security number for students. “In effect, in layman's terms, ma'am, that is the Social Security number equivalent for every student that is an Oklahoma, public student,” Ross said. Ross said district staff had informed sites and were sending messages to families after the state delay became clear.
On accommodations, Ross told the board: “We will follow all IEPs, and 504s, in accordance to, those documents and the law, that supports them through IDEA.” Board members and parents at the meeting raised questions about noise-reducing headphones and how accommodations for students with sensory needs will be handled; district leaders said schools will coordinate directly with families to ensure appropriate equipment is provided or made available.
District officials said the testing delay affected multiple assessments that rely on the state testing identifiers, including OSTP and local NWEA administrations. Polk said the district had held off broader communications while awaiting a state remedy but ultimately notified school sites and parents when it became clear the state fix would not arrive in time.
The board did not take formal action on the testing schedule at the meeting; district staff said they would push updated schedules and accommodation messaging to families and school sites.
For families with specific accommodation needs, the district advised contacting the school site to confirm equipment and arrangements for testing.
