After Forced Pause, Virginia Schools Resume Armed Services Assessment Testing

High school students in Virginia have regained the ability to take a key career readiness exam, after an executive order from President Donald Trump suspended testing for over two weeks.

In large part, the executive order cut “non-essential” travel for Department of Defense civilian employees, disrupting the administration of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) assessment.

The exam is vital in Virginia because it’s one of the elements used to determine school accreditation, placing additional pressure on educators to prove schools successfully support students.

On Thursday, the U.S. Army notified the Military Entrance Processing Command (MEPC), which administers the exams at schools across the country, that the education service specialists can begin resuming testing, according to Marshall Smith, a spokesman for MEPC.

Schools, including in Caroline County and Northumberland County, had to cancel their exams. Northumberland County High School learned Friday that the test would once again be available to students.

Shawn DeRose, principal at Annandale High School in Fairfax County and president of the Virginia Association of Secondary School Principals (VASSP), said principals are concerned about the impact the testing pause had on students and schools.

“The suspension of ASVAB testing, although brief, caused significant disruption for many high schools throughout Virginia,” said DeRose in a statement to the Mercury. “Schools now face the challenge of securing alternative testing dates, which has become increasingly complex due to the limited availability of official proctors and existing scheduling commitments — including upcoming (Standards of Learning), AP, IB, and final exams.”

Most importantly, he added that ASVAB testing is a “critical component” of Virginia’s new 3E Readiness framework, part of the overall accountability system to determine if schools meet the state standards for student success. The readiness framework is a plan that helps students prepare for life after high school, focusing on three main areas: getting a job, joining the military, or going to college or other schools.

DeRose said he fears the disruption could impact whether a school is labeled “off track” or, even worse, identified as “needs intensive support.”

Under the recently overhauled accountability system, schools are given one of four labels based on their performance: “Distinguished,” “On track,” “Off Track,” and “Needs Intensive Support.”

Schools considered “distinguished” are those that exceed the state’s expectations for growth, achievement and readiness, while those that need “intensive support” do not meet any of the state’s expectations. In addition, “on-track” and “off-track” descriptors indicate whether schools generally meet expectations.

Smith was uncertain if all Virginia high schools had been made aware of the change but encouraged schools to contact their respective ASVAB testing administrators to reschedule. He said approximately 620,000 students across the country took the exam last year.

by Nathaniel Cline, Virginia Mercury

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