The Illinois State Board of Education has recently published data that indicates that since the start of the pandemic, standardized test scores have dramatically decreased while chronic absenteeism has increased. This data comes as a result of juxtaposing students’ 2021 standardized test scores with the corresponding scores from 2019.
Specifically, after taking the Illinois Assessment of Readiness exam (IAR), average CPS test scores decreased in both reading and math. The data describes that 21% of students met the standard for competency in English in 2021 as opposed to 28% of students who took the exam two years prior. Similarly, only 16% of students met the competency requirements for Math as opposed to 24% in 2019. As students did not take the IAR in 2020, some suggest the data is incomplete.
Members of the Chicago Teacher’s Union question the integrity of standardized tests altogether as CTU president argues that students should not have the pressure of performing well on standardized tests when they are already overwhelmed by the health and safety concerns COVID-19 has presented. He stated, “to grade any person, or any school district, under these circumstances is cruel…when everyone’s M.O. for the past year has been maintaining proper health, safety, and sanity.”
Moving forward, the data collected is highly valuable as it provides some insight into how to support student learning throughout the pandemic. As more information becomes available, educators and administrators will gain a better understanding of how to aid students and communities to help achieve their educational goals.
Kayley Horton, Tutoring Coordinator
kayley@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266
Source: Chicago Sun Times