Parents will always be a child’s greatest advocate and assessment results are one of the strongest ... [+]
No question, this has been a school year like no other. It’s one reason why there is so much debate about testing in school—particularly statewide summative assessments. Given the incredible disruption to learning over the pandemic, why not just cancel those tests? It is certainly understandable to want to focus every possible minute on classroom instruction rather than exams.
But COVID-19 was unprecedented and stressed our education system in ways never imagined.
As we thankfully return to in-person learning in most of the country, parents need more information on where their child stands academically—not less. With data from assessment results, parents are better positioned to make educational decisions to help their child. Without it, parents are often left in the dark when it comes to their child’s academic progress – and could miss out on key opportunities to support students on their paths to becoming fully prepared for college, career, and life.
“Students tend to stay on the same academic path over time – unless they get support,” notes an extremely insightful parent guide to assessments developed by the nonprofit EdNavigator.
For parents, understanding where their child’s test results stand amongst their peers over time can help reveal critical gaps that can then be addressed.
We know from National PTA polling that the majority of parents support spring summative testing to measure the pandemic’s impact on student learning. Support climbs as parents learn more about how student assessment data can be used to evaluate virtual learning, guide the investment of new resources, and target supports for students.
That’s why it’s good news to see examples like Indiana, where the state has told districts that testing will continue. Ninety-seven percent of third graders this spring completed the state’s standardized reading test, and the state plans to review state data and provide an initial report in July so schools can have more to work from before the start of the new school year to better understand student achievement and gaps among student groups.
But sadly, we’re seeing parts of the country where parents are not sending their child to school on testing days. In New Mexico, for example, Albuquerque Public Schools has said that less than 1 percent students plan to take the standardized test, according to a local news report. And in at least one Oregon school district, officials have said they won’t offer the state assessments to students.
Parents will always be a child’s greatest advocate. Assessment results are one of the strongest tools that parents have in understanding their child’s academic trajectory. School leaders should ensure that state assessments are offered, and parents should take advantage of this opportunity to better understand where their child stands academically by doing their best to ensure their child is able to take a state assessment.
