We know this school year has been hard on our students emotionally and academically here in Georgia. Parents have stepped up in unprecedented ways and are more engaged than they've ever been. But with all the uncertainty and disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers need a complete and consistent picture of how each student is doing. Statewide testing will give us a baseline of data for student progress during the pandemic.
That's why this spring, we believe that Georgia should administer comprehensive end of year assessments. Such assessments can help teachers meet every child's unique needs and support them in the areas where they need extra support—as long as the results are not used to judge teachers or cut funding to schools.
Comprehensive end of year assessments will:
- Provide vital information for parents, teachers, and students about student progress and unique needs during and after the pandemic.
- Measure what skills and subjects their child is proficient, and where he or she needs extra help.
- Provide state policymakers with data to see where best to allocate additional funding and programming.
Sign today to demand state leaders maintain testing requirements that provide objective information about student performance to help better understand what it will take for schools and students to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
