Dear CPS Parents and Guardians,

Many of you have seen or received the recent announcement from State Superintendent Ryan Walters regarding the potential shift away from traditional statewide end-of-year testing in grades 3–8 Math and English Language Arts, beginning in the 2025–2026 school year. Under this proposal, districts could use an “approved benchmark assessment” in place of current state exams.

This is the first time we have been made aware of this possible change, and while the idea is intriguing and closely aligned with Cleveland Public Schools’ vision for tracking student growth, there are still many important questions that remain unanswered:

• Will our current benchmark assessment, NWEA MAP, be included on the state’s “approved” list?
• How will this change affect federal requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act that mandates end-of-year testing requirements in certain grades and subjects?
• Does this still mean our 5th and 8th grade science exams and 8th grade US citizenship exams are still in place?

The concept of using a progressive benchmark system that measures growth throughout the year aligns strongly with our goals at CPS—this is why we have already implemented district-wide benchmarking. We believe that assessments should be used to guide instruction, support individual student growth, and inform building-wide instructional strategies—not simply as a single high-stakes measure at the end of the year.

That said, it is important that we do not get ahead of the process. At this time, CPS remains fully committed to using NWEA MAP data to guide and adjust our classroom instruction, shape individual growth plans, and inform building-wide procedures as the year progresses. Whether or not our students will take an end-of-year state exam in the future will depend on further guidance from the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

We will continue to monitor this development closely and communicate updates as soon as we have more concrete information. In the meantime, please know that our focus remains on your child’s learning, growth, and success every single day.

Thank you for your partnership and trust in Cleveland Public Schools.