Chalkbeat reports that Colorado has canceled state academic tests for 2020.
Colorado will cancel state tests in light of coronavirus school closures, officials say
Any state that insists on giving the federally-mandated tests should be prepared to answer how they expect to test children who have been out of school for several weeks without instruction.
Under the best of circumstances, the scores reveal little more than family income and education. In the current circumstances, what will they mean? Nothing, although the differences between haves and have-nots might be accentuated.
Best course of action for every state: Cancel the tests now and focus instead on making sure that students have food, social supports, and access to medical care.
Cancel the tests. Care for students.
The tests waste instruction time that is already being lost. The tests waste money that must be better spent. There is no benefit gained from testing. There are no testing data gleaned that show what or who “works” or doesn’t work where. Cancel the tests. Replace the tests with learning.
States that have decided not to test during this pandemic are smart to do so. Would be a total disaster and a huge waste of money. Maybe states will find out how little value those tests are in the first place. I sure hope so.
Families with books in the home are fortunate.
It seems to require a health crisis to effect a short break in the institutionalized child abuse at the hands of profiteers.