Will There be Standardized Testing for the 2019-2020 School Year?
The widespread closure of public schools due to a pandemic is virtually unheard of, leaving many students and parents unsure of its effects on normal student learning like standardized testing. Although little has been said regarding when students will be able to return to school, many accommodations have been made through distance learning to ensure that students are still honing their skills during these uncertain times. But, will these accommodations be enough to administer standardized tests?
According to the Department of Education on March 20, 2020, standardized testing for the 2019-2020 school year has been effectively canceled. Although the national government does reserve the right to officially cancel all standardized testing for the school year, they are giving states the flexibility to cancel standardized tests due to the national emergency. U.S Secretary of Education Besty DeVos announced, “Students need to be focused on staying healthy and continuing to learn… Neither students nor teachers need to be focused on high-stakes tests during this difficult time. Students are simply too unlikely to be able to perform their best in this environment.” Overall, for the 2019-2020 school year, the Department of Education will not require states to test their students. As of now, no New Jersey officials have directly stated any real plans to cancel standardized tests, but it is said that there are plans to do so.
Despite the fact that standardized tests will most likely be canceled, AP exams will still be administered at a later date online. Through a survey of 18,000 students, 91% of students replied that they would still be willing to take a modified version of these exams. The College Board has tried to meet the demands of students and teachers during these difficult times by providing remote education opportunities and ordering the removal of a few units that most teachers have likely not been able to cover due to the circumstances. On top of all this, the College Board mentioned that they will provide online practice methods similar in format to the exam that will be given this May on their online AP Classroom. While many plans for the upcoming months remain uncertain, the one thing that remains is that each child will continue to receive instruction through virtual learning.
Sources: