The Power of Evaluation

The coronavirus pandemic that has resulted in a large number of infections, a high death count, the suspension of much economic activity, and the closing of schools across the globe has highlighted the staying power of evaluation as a component of education. Of all the things that we might worry about, it is striking just how often there are reports on how testing of one sort or another is being impacted by the disruption caused by the pandemic.

Here is a sample of the alterations in evaluation practices under way or in the planning stage:

In South Africa the University of South Africa has announced that the May/June exams will continue but the format will be shifted from venue-based to online while maintaining a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism or dishonesty.

In India the school board of Mizoram in the northeastern part of the country has reversed a previously announced decision to resume the Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate (HSSLC) examinations following an appeal from the central government.

In Canada both k-12 schools and post-secondary institutions are considering the possibility of offering pass-fall grading for students who have been shifted to distance learning. Discussions have included concerns about inequities in access to technology for distance learning as well as maintaining teacher feedback and providing information on student performance as the basis for college admissions decisions.

In Oregon a state policy to shift to pass/fail grading during the pandemic has resulted in a petition by some parents and students who want all students to have the option of getting letter grades. The parents and students are concerned that having letter grades would be a disadvantage in applying to college.

The cancellation of SAT and ACT testing sessions this spring has caused a number of colleges and universities to suspend the requirement that students submit their scores on these tests as part of the admission process. This continues a growing movement to make such tests optional. However, the suspension of the tests for fall 2021 admissions may be temporary at the University of California where an examination of the use of such tests suggests that they may help disadvantaged students in the UC admissions process.

In the UK high stakes exams such as the GCSE have been cancelled and teachers are being asked to predict GCSE’s and A-level grades with some anticipating that teacher assessments of students will play a larger role moving forward and others citing their limitations,

Changing evaluation practices, even during a pandemic, appears to raise concerns in various quarters. Putting the assessment system under such stress reveals some long-standing issues, not the least of which is the enduring interest of many parties in just how evaluation of student performance is to be conducted.