There is a demand for a higher degree of synergy between schools and researchers for standardized tests at both the high school and college level. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, these tests have been largely discarded to ensure county safety requirements as properly met. Many of the regulations in some counties make it practically impossible to hold tests.
Large scale tests are expected to face a pretty challenging task in the next year. Experts have warned that it might expose students and staff to a higher risk of coronavirus. This added risk is further enhanced with the uncertainties of what schools will look like in years to come. This is causing states to consider the idea of moving forward into the new year without tests.
How has COVID Affected Households by financial hardship and bankruptcy?
Due to COVID-19, not only have people seen differences in schools, but there are a lot of financial hardships floating onto land. For instance, there have been more people researching pros and cons of bankruptcy, chapter 13 calculator and information regarding other debt relief options. It is very important for individuals that are experiencing any financial stress and are asking themselves, can I file bankruptcy and keep my house, to seek help.
How has standardized test-taking been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic?
Teachers, universities, and students have been caught in the crosshairs of the Covid-19 outbreak, which has now halted the PSAT, SAT, and other important exams. To ensure the safety of students and abide by public health guidance, the College Board announced the cancelation of the SAT tests through the year 2020. Some have suggested that the standardized testing environment should lend itself to proper social distancing since that would also deter examination malpractice. However, this is virtually impossible because the sheer number of students in each location will make it difficult to properly practice social distancing and accommodate the same number of test takers. Additionally, there is a limit to the amount of manpower that can enforce social distancing rules.
For example, in order for the next NAEP in math and reading for grades 4 and 8 to be administered, the National Center for Education Statistics typically would allow for 3,000 proctors across about 13,000 educational institutions. This number being due to the fact that individual students will only take a subset of the NAEP’s questions. Proctors are only provided with 22,000 tablet computers that have each student’s set of questions.
Each state has its individual challenges, and sometimes it is even more particular for individual districts. Proctors will need proper training to help coordinate safety precautions as it relates to the environment they’re deployed to. Proctors will also need to supervise health tests.
Test administrators usually move between schools during the test, leading to the possibility of the administrators causing the spread of the virus if they come into contact with an infected student. Finally, if a widespread case of Covid-19 is detected in a school, the school will be closed temporarily without prior notice, cancelling the test scheduled there.
The Future
The idea that standardized testing is an effective way of gauging intelligence and student achievement is facing more criticism than ever, which is a sign that when the pandemic could be propelling the end of standardized testing in the form it is known today.
However, some K-12 schools still see standardized testing as a good tool and have pledged to use it extensively. This includes Florida, where former governor Jeb Bush is a staunch supporter of this testing method. His opinion on this is quite weighty as he remains an influential person in the state’s education policy. In additon, many universities and colleges still plan on using test scores to choose those they will admit after the pandemic is over.
However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the uprising among teachers, students, and parents about standardized test-taking, we can conveniently say that its end could be near. Or at least, a reduction in the importance of those tests as a means of determining a student’s ability. But what should a reasonable testing system look like in the future? FairTest made an interesting proposal that it is useful to consider:
1. Reduce the number of standardized tests required by states to the minimum test required by ESSA. If this is done, it means that a student will only be required to take 17 tests throughout his/her entire career in a public school. This action will get rid of state induced standardized exams.
2.Ban standardized testing for kids that are in classes below grade 3.
3. Get rid of high-stake consequences that make use of standardized test scores for teachers. The same goes for students (exit exams, program/course placement) and districts/schools (simplistic grading systems).
4. Invent and enforce the use of performance-based assessment systems that improve academic equity and quality. This is a method that’ll grade the performance of students over-time rather than in isolated instances that are privy to many outside variables.
There is also the need to adopt technological innovations that have been made available for standardized testing. There should be a proper synergy between top-tech firms and organizations that are saddled with organizing these tests. With a proper synergy, we can have a mode of testing that doesn’t expose students to the Covid-19 but also allows a medium to test the breadth of a student’s knowledge.
In Summary
The Covid-19 pandemic has made a far-reaching impact on different parts of society, which does not exclude the educational sector. A major point of impact in education is in the organization of standardized testing. This impact is expected to tilt the way standardized tests are administered in the future—a change that many believe is necessary.
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