Since March 2020, COVID-19 has required the implementation of remote learning options in K-12 public schools across North Carolina, ranging from fully online classroom experiences to hybrid scenarios in which students attend school both in person and remotely. In some locales, students continue to attend school in person most of the time, but with some modifications.
As school communities continue to navigate the impacts of a global pandemic, these new learning environments have brought forth complex challenges when it comes to safely, reliably and equitably assessing student learning using statewide standardized testing. Additionally, standardized tests are used for accountability purposes, which can create scenarios where students and educators experience punitive outcomes that are potentially inaccurate due to the implementation of learning environments that are incomparable with prior years. Fortunately, there are solutions to these potential outcomes that policymakers can consider and implement expeditiously.
Read the rest of our brief on assessment and accountability during COVID-19 below.
