Canada
This article was added by the user . TheWorldNews is not responsible for the content of the platform.

The pandemic confused the way we evaluate students. Experts are worried that it is also hindering recovery work

Some young learners ofare struggling to develop early reading comprehension while stumbling upon the concept of mathematics. Repeated pandemic pivots prevented students from practicing classroom learning, affecting their mental health and keeping them away from their peers. The learning curve in the CBC News series explores the impact of COVID-19 on Canadian students and what it takes to recover from a pandemic-confused school education.

Over the last three years, the pandemic-influenced classrooms of Jocelyn and Olivia Wong have looked dramatically different. And the mother wondered how the school turmoil affected their learning.

"It's important for me to find the balance of respecting the (learning) pace and at the same time making sure we're moving towards our goals," said Elizabeth, the girl's single parent.・ Ma said. 

How student learning is measured, and valuable data from traditional assessments, is another element of the pandemic-confused educational system. A change has occurred at the classroom level. For example, until a large state and international test was canceled , the test was stopped in preference to different weighted tasks. 

Since March 2020, students, parents and teachers are similarly worried about loss of learning Meanwhile, education researchers are wondering where student learning is. I blame the lack of data to show in Canada. Fill the pandemic-related gaps.

When the school was suddenly closed in the spring of 2020 in , Josselin's time to attend a public school kindergarten in North Vancouver and Olivia's stint in the kindergarten were stopped. The following fall, Mah chose her girl for homeschooling in the 2020-2021 school year. 

Currently Brothers Duo have completed their first and second grades at an independent nature school that is particularly beneficial to Jocelyn . Shortly before the pandemic, she was diagnosed with social anxiety and selective mutism, a disorder that she could not speak or communicate in certain social situations.

Mah is currently working with Jocelyn's teacher to assess the progress of an 8-year-old student. Within the limits of a pandemic, she emphasizes the flexibility of after hitting a barrier to dealing with Jocelyn in a public school system.

Still, understanding what kids know today is very different from the traditional spelling tests, multiplication tables, final exams, and standardized tests that Ma remembered from her school days. Seems to be different.

"It's a completely different evaluation method than the one we grew up in, so I think that's the challenge as a parent," she said. "I'm trying when I was a kid ... the impression of a standardized test."

Watch | What did the student look like in COVID-19? Share: Students share their memories and take them home from the Pandemix School

Evaluation data "makes a difference" 

According to Darryl Hunter, an associate professor of education policy research, the evaluation has actually changed and is in line with the demands of the times. 198} Adjusted. At the University of Alberta in Edmonton. 

He explained until he measured what the student knew from the classroom level and made larger measurements throughout the system. Method is as follows.

  • Classroom: Teachers continuously measure what the child knows : Regularly before starting the topic During a typical check-in, I finally learned what to measure. Examples range from diagnostic reading evaluation to report cards. These measurements are often the biggest bet for the family as they can affect student trajectory, scholarship and program eligibility, course sections, and more.

  • Board of Education: The Board of Education standardizes using theCanadian Basic Skills Test (CTBS). You can choose to measure your learning through a test that has been done. As one possible example of what is being used. The results help the board make decisions.

  • Large states: The Ministry of Education (or designation) regularly measures learning against curriculum standards in different grades. Schedule a test. The results can inform areas such as curriculum development. An example is B. C. There areFoundation Skills Assessments(FSA) or AlbertaProvincial Achievement Tests(PAT).

  • Large domestic / international: The ministry (or designation) arranges these tests. Results can inform education policy by showing whether a student meets the set learning standards. Often compared to students elsewhere in Canada or abroad. Examples include thePan-Canada Assessment Program(PCAP) and theInternational Student Assessment Program(PISA).

Hunters say each level is worth it. In the classroom, educators use rating data to inform education. It's like a pilot using data from instrument decks, air traffic controllers, and cabins to guide passengers to their destination. 

A portrait of an older, mustached man in glasses dressed in a black shirt and blazer.
Darryl Hunter is a former teacher and administrator who led a student evaluation program in Saskatchewan. And Ontario. He is currently an associate professor of education policy research at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. (Laura Sou / University of Alberta)

On a large scale, he also held a budget meeting where politicians were uncertain about the Minister of Education's bid for the literacy program. Witnessed to get started, finally commits more than $ 50 million to after hearing a compelling presentation of the latest PISA results.

"It made a difference in children's lives," said Hunter. "I strongly believe in policy-level ratings for communicating decisions and choices." 

However, he also makes ratings simply create rankings. Instead of being used for, he states that he feels that he needs to be targeted and carefully connected to the supporting students . 

Some hunters, like the “NHL or CFL team”, want everything “in rank order”.

"If you think that the local school can be treated as another hockey rink, it really puts a disadvantage on the school's educators and students .... it's what's happening at the school. It's not an exact representation. ""

A bid to rethink the standardized test

11th grade Kaden Johnson attending a school in Mississaga, Ontario He states that he recognizes the need to measure learning. And is approaching life after higher education. He shares many high school students' concerns that the practice of writing exams will not work due to the frequent pivoting in the pandemic classroom. 

Still, Johnson said he did not support reassessing the large standardized tests performed before the pandemic, saying that these tests were flawed. Believe it, put unnecessary stress on students and feed worried that future educational paths would be irreparably affected. doing.

Teachers were creative and flexible in assessing students in a pandemic, says 11th grade Kaden Johnson. He opposes returning to traditional large-scale standardized testing. "If you really have time to rethink implementing it. This is definitely it." (Submitted by Kaden Johnson)

16 year old kids are also learning students I'm not convinced that the government is really spurring action on increasing education funding to improve. 

"I'm not against the rating just because I don't want to write another test," he said. "We are really worried about the condition of our education system, especially the condition of the young people who come to it."

Teachers directly evaluate students in a pandemic. Given the creative and more personalized way of being, he added: Through this will definitely be it. 

See | Stereotypical Relationships, Missing Interactions: Students Share the Social Impact of a Pandemic: Students from all over Canada discuss the social impact of a pandemic

'No data, no problems, solutions Nothing to do'

Standardized tests were not perfect and were blamed for reproducing stereotypes and blaming specific areas and schools. } Kelly Gallagher McKay, Educational researcher and associate professor at Wilfrid Laurier University.

But she said "some data is better than no data." 

The teacher continues to evaluate in the classroom, but she said she is probably creatively adapting to a myriad of pandemic situations. The student would have been able to do it three years ago.

COVID-19 and Gallagher McKay, who is studying school, feel that they need both.

See | What the Ministry of Education should do to collect student learning data:A pandemic has occurred More than two years ago, education researcher Kelly Gallagher McKay outlines the basic steps that the Ministry of Education and Department should take. I am taking it to collect data about what the students have learned.

Due to the lack of data due to the cancellation of a large test, Canada said, "The seriousness of the problem caused by the children's learning by the pandemic. We are in a situation where we cannot evaluate it. The policy corresponds to that. "

Some measurements will be returned shortly as some states resume annual standardized testing and PCAP will return in 2023. Gallagher-McKay said.

"No data, no problem, no solution. No data. I think the problem of the impact of pandemic learning is inadequately addressed and very slow in terms of solution." 

She said the rating helps identify where the problem lies and builds the urgency of the necessary response. In addition, she measures what students know, and whether the system effectively helps people off course in COVID-19 is Canada's future. I think it's really important for me. 

"Children are resilient. They can deal with it. But we shouldn't expect them to do it without help."

COVID-19 has affected the last three grades. How did the students behave in the pandemic school education? What are you most worried aboutd? ask @ cbc. Share your experiences and concerns at ca(be sure to include your name and location, aired on the CBC News Network)