Guardians At The Gate

Time to Rethink Educational Assessments

The Pandemic Exposed the Limitations of Standardized Testing

The widespread school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the shortcomings of our over-reliance on standardized testing. Many students were unable to take these tests, and those who did often performed poorly due to the disruptions they had faced. Moreover, research has consistently shown that standardized tests are biased against certain groups of students, including students from low-income families and students of color.

Exploring a More Equitable Assessment

In light of these concerns, it is time to rethink our approach to educational assessment. We need to move away from a reliance on high-stakes standardized tests and develop more equitable and informative ways to measure student learning and progress. One promising approach is performance-based assessment, which evaluates students based on their ability to apply their knowledge and skills to real-world tasks. Performance-based assessments can be more engaging and authentic than standardized tests, and they can provide students with more opportunities to demonstrate their learning. Another important consideration is to reduce the frequency of testing and the amount of time spent preparing for tests. This will free up more time for teaching and learning and reduce the stress that students and teachers experience.

Guardians at the Gate

As we move forward, we need to ensure that any changes to our educational assessment system are made in a thoughtful and inclusive way. By working together, we can create a more equitable and effective system that truly meets the needs of all students.