James Kirylo: COVID-19 and Standardized Testing | deutsch29

James Kirylo: COVID-19 and Standardized Testing | deutsch29
James Kirylo: COVID-19 and Standardized Testing

In his piece below, Kirylo considers the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic upon standardized-test-dependent accountability. (A quick note: Kirylo briefly interviewed me for this article.)

COVID-19 and Standardized Testing

James D. Kirylo

COVID-19 has obviously rocked our world, forcing us to change and adapt in so many different ways, including how we do K-12 schooling. It is truly quite remarkable how educators across the country have rapidly responded by exclusively shifting to an online format for the nearly 57 million K-12 students in the U.S.

Making that shift has not been easy, nor has it been simple to do for students and their parents/caregivers, even more heightened for those who are limited with technological or internet access at home. In addition to the change to the online delivery format, school systems all over the country are scrambling around on how to go about assessing and evaluating students.

In short, the action of assessment is the tools (e.g., teacher-constructed tests, portfolios, standardized tests) that are used to evaluate students through some kind of grading system.And when it comes to standardized testing which are mandated by the federal government under the reauthorization of Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), this translates into state assessment and accountability systems across the country using test scores as an evaluative tool to play a part in student grade level promotion and graduation, the evaluation of teachers, and the rankings of schools.

Yet, COVID-19 presents an interesting dilemma because the US Department of Education has allowed states the discretion to waive the CONTINUE READING: James Kirylo: COVID-19 and Standardized Testing | deutsch29