The global COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected the lives of people around the world. Due to health precautions, schools have been operating remotely since last spring, which is likely to continue until the end of the school year. Due to the uncertainty and chaos surrounding the pandemic, all fifty states were given waivers for standardized tests for the previous cycle. This article will explore the current state of standardized testing and how it may change this upcoming school year.
Many states were expecting testing waivers for the 2020-2021 school year because most schools are still operating online. However, on the third of September, U.S. Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, informed states that they should not count on getting the same waivers for this school year as they received last spring.
In a letter to chief state school officers, DeVos said that these annual, summative assessments in language arts, math, and science are “at the very core” of the bipartisan agreement behind the Every Student Succeeds Act, the main federal K-12 education law. At a time when vulnerable students have been hurt the most by the pandemic, such tests are “among the most reliable tools available to help us understand how children are performing in school.” Without this data, according to DeVos, the American people would not have transparency and accountability in public education. She believes that these standardized tests are used to inform which students and schools need additional help in terms of funding and technology.
On the issue of testing, DeVos has some left-leaning civil rights groups lining up against her, as not everyone agrees with her statement. U.S Congressman Anthony Brindisi believes that states should be given the flexibility to forgo federally required standardized testing if needed. Brindisi wrote in a letter to DeVos that “students and teachers are facing unprecedented challenges this school year. Some schools are only offering online instruction, which many students find less effective than in-person learning. Many parents are finding themselves juggling childcare and employment concerns, which can greatly disrupt at-home learning. We cannot expect a child to perform their best on a standardized test in this environment. Because we don’t know how this school year will go, your decision to forgo any waivers seems to have been made prematurely.”
Even if waivers are not provided for this school year, there are still many questions regarding how students will take the test and in what kind of environment (whether in-person or online). A key factor that could possibly affect standardized testing for this year is whether or not Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden, wins the upcoming election. Although he refrains from mentioning anything about standardized testing in his campaign (and has in fact criticized it), Biden’s education team will likely grant testing waivers for the 2020-2021 school year if he becomes president.
There are still many uncertainties about standardized testing for this school year, with nothing set in stone yet. There will likely be more clarity on this topic after the elections towards the end of the calendar year. The uncertainty should not be prolonged. We can only hope that the outcome will be just and considerate towards all students and schools.