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Volusia schools shrink local testing load, revise calendar after teacher focus‑group feedback
Summary
Volusia County Schools officials told the school board workshop they cut local district assessments by about 70% over three years and adjusted the 2025–26 testing calendar after a steering committee of 72 teachers recommended changes to reduce testing near breaks and make state diagnostic windows earlier.
Volusia County Schools officials on Tuesday presented a testing‑calendar update and said they have reduced the district’s local assessments significantly while changing testing windows to avoid the week before winter and spring breaks.
The changes stem from an assessment steering committee and teacher focus groups Superintendent Carmen Balgobin said the district convened to evaluate Volusia benchmark assessments, or VBAs, and state progress monitoring tests. "Everything that we do aligns to our strategic plan," said Dr. Julian Azarria Valle, the district’s chief academic officer.
Why it matters: District leaders said the revisions are intended to maximize instructional time and provide teachers more actionable data without increasing students’ time spent in testing. Kyle Shicker, interim coordinator for research, evaluation and accountability (REA), told the board the district’s combined local and state testing currently averages under 2% of instructional time — well under Florida Department of Education guidance that students not spend more than 5% of total school hours on assessments.
What th…
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