COVID-19 and standardized student assessments: short and long term consequences

Invitation for a research lab, organized by the ICSEI´s ‘Crisis Response in Education’ Network

Organizers: Professor Melanie Ehren (VU Netherlands; m.c.m.ehren@vu.nl), Professor Carmen Montecinos (PUCV Chile; carmen.montecinos@pucv.cl), Professor Jo-Anne Baird (Oxford University; jo-anne.baird@education.ox.ac.uk), and Professor Louise Hayward (Louise.Hayward@glasgow.ac.uk).

Introductory presentation by Dennis Opposs (Standards Chair, Ofqual; Vice President, International Association for Educational Assessment) on ‘The impact of the coronavirus outbreak on exams around the world’

Introduction

In many countries, standardized summative assessments were cancelled, amended or postponed when schools needed to close to contain the spread of COVID-19. As these assessments are used to make decisions on progression and/or qualification of students, and to evaluate/monitor teacher and school quality, alternative measures had to be put in place to make such decisions. What are the short and long-term consequences of these changes for students, teachers, schools and school systems (e.g. monitoring of progress, decisions on grade repetition, awarding of grades and qualifications, teacher and school evaluation/accountability)?

The International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement, through the Crisis Response in Education Network, invites practitioners and researchers from around the globe to be part of a research lab to explore and study these issues.

The lab will lead to one (or more) paper(s) in which the above questions are addressed and explained for participating countries, to be published in an academic journal and practitioner-oriented outlet (to be decided by the group). Key messages from the sessions will also be shared through regular ICSEI channels (newsletter, website, twitter, linkedin). Papers can include empirical work, but can also be essays, position papers or presentations of narrative cases.

Requirements for registration

The research lab will be structured in four session webinars that will encourage active participation of participants during sessions, as well as in between sessions in collecting and sharing information about their own systems. Throughout the sessions, participants will define research questions they want to explore, collect data, and report back.

As this is a collaborative effort, we request that you sign up only if you anticipate attending all four sessions and are able to collect information in between sessions. We expect a time commitment (including attending the sessions) of approximately 2 days, but more if you decide to co-author the final paper.

Registration is conditional upon ICSEI membership! Places will be allocated on the basis of ensuring a group from a wide variety of countries and institutions, first come first served!

Your chance to make a contribution and develop new knowledge

This collaborative research initiative provides a unique opportunity to engage with international colleagues on one of the most pressing questions of the current crisis in a structured and reflective approach. It will also allow you to engage with international colleagues in the wider ICSEI community to understand how the teacher profession is, and might be impacted across the globe in the medium and long term.

Session dates:

1 October 2020; 2-3.30 pm (Central European summer time)

27 October 2020; 2-3.30 pm (Central European winter time)

7 December 2020; 2-3.30 pm (Central European winter time)

21 January 2021; 2-3.30 pm (Central European winter time)

You need to register for all four events!

A link to the online webinar will be send after registration.