Standardized Testing, Homeschooling and the Coronavirus
With the feelings of panic and uncertainty we’re facing with the Coronavirus, you’d think the last thing parents would be wondering about is required achievement testing. Many of you, though, are thinking about it for a good reason. Educators use achievement testing to do more than simply comply with state law; their primary interest in having their children tested is to know how they’re doing academically. Now that we’ve entered the testing season, we’ve seen an uptick in the number of calls and emails, but a global crisis also calls much into question.
The Coronavirus will eventually peak, level off, and hopefully our nation returns to some degree of normalcy in our professional and daily lives. The question is, when? With so many variables, it’s clear no one really knows.
What we do know:
The date public and private schools will reopen is being pushed out further and further. Parents are faced with keeping their children at home much longer than they were originally planning. How much teaching and learning will take place during this time will vary upon each family’s unique situation. Regardless, assessment, whether formal or informal, naturally follows teaching. Assessment (testing) is one way educators, both in the classroom and at home, determine how much their students have learned and retained, relative to what they’ve been taught. Many of our clients appreciate this end-of-the-year testing, regardless of state requirements.
All families, now entrusted with home education, should also be given tools to enable them to evaluate the learning taking place, even in this unprecedented situation. Each family has a responsibility to make sure education is taking place and are given tools with which to measure learning.
What we are doing:
Basic Skills has reached out to the Oregon Department of Education. We’ve requested, in light of the Coronavirus, that there be some modification of the rules regulating testing.
We are waiting to hear back.
We’ll be communicating through our blog, Facebook, and ezine what we hear and decisions are made. We’ll let you know the next steps Basic Skills will be taking to help all parents assess their children. We are also developing an online coaching and tutoring program to help encourage parents and students through this isolating and stressful time.
Thanks for reading.
Curt
