ISBE releases guidance for spring assessments, unions ask for tests to be put off

The Illinois State Board of Education has released guidance for assessment administration in the spring 2021, but several Illinois’ education unions are calling for standardized testing to be put off this school year.

In a joint letter with the Chicago Teachers Union, the Illinois Education Association (IEA), the Illinois Principals Association, and the Illinois Association of School Administrators, the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) called on the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to postpone standardized testing via a U.S. Department of Education Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) waiver for the 2020-2021 school year.

“The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact every corner of the state. Despite the committed efforts of educators to provide the most robust, appropriate and safe educational experience for our students, the pandemic’s disruptive force has meant that students have had inconsistent and uneven experiences within schools, across districts, and among regions,” the letter said. 

“Moreover, the gross inequity the pandemic has reinforced, both in health and economic outcomes, means our least resourced students feel the brunt of the pandemic’s impact. Given the paucity of federal leadership and relief, coupled with rising infection rates leading to many districts’ use of adaptive pauses to in-person schooling, providing a stable and consistent learning environment is impossible this school year.”

Kathi Griffin, president of the Illinois Education Association said, “It is imperative that we look out for the social and emotional needs of our students during this pandemic as much as we look out for their academic progress. Testing of this nature creates unneeded stress in a year that’s been full of added stressors. “We need to keep our students safe, physically and emotionally, and help them keep concentrating on what they need to learn, not why they need to test.”

ISBE, though, responded, in part with ““We must administer assessments unless the U.S. Department of Education offers states a waiver, which has not occurred as of today (Dec. 17).”

Guidance provided by ISBE said that the assessments may be more important than ever, though.

“Assessments shine a light on how this pandemic has impacted our students and what we need to do to help them recover,” ISBE wrote. “We may not be able to compare this year’s data to other years’ due to these unique circumstances, but assessments do give us a valid and reliable snapshot of this moment in time. They are a critical diagnostic tool and an essential component of our efforts to support students’ recovery from the pandemic.”

Like all information provided by governing bodies during the pandemic, ISBE wrote that the guidance is not final, and can change with direction from the U.S. Department of Education. 

All standardized tests will be required to be administered in-person. Testing requirements for Phase 4 include:

• Require use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), including face coverings;
• Prohibit more than 50 individuals from gathering in one space; 
• Require social distancing be observed, as much as possible; 
• Require that schools conduct symptom screenings and temperature checks or require that individuals self-certify that they are free of symptoms before entering school buildings; and 
• Require an increase in schoolwide cleaning and disinfection.

The requirements are the same in Phase 3, except that in Phase 3, the capacity limit for individuals in a single space is reduced to 10 or fewer.

ISBE said they would like to find a way for school districts to take the tests as late in the spring as possible.