Collegiate Composition
Teaching During COVID-19
Why should principals have background knowledge of effective instructional and assessment strategies during a pandemic? Moreover, why should teachers have background knowledge of effective instructional and assessment strategies during a pandemic? To answer these questions, I will explore specific recommendations to consider concerning instructional and assessment strategies during a pandemic. In less than a year, the world has rapidly changed through the lives of students, parents, teachers, and principals due to the pandemic. As a result, change has been the only area to remain constant whether it be how the instruction and assessments are delivered or how learning has occurred. Therefore, we must consider the impact of the pandemic on student learning.
Related Studies
Based on norms provided in Star Reading (grades K-12) and Star Math assessments (1-12), Wyse, Stickney, Butz, Beckler, and Close (2020) conducted a study that utilized three hypotheses: 1) Did a student stop learning (measured at the end of March) when COVID-19 started? 2) Did a student advance a month (measured at the end of April) in their learning after COVID-19? 3) Did a student decline a month (measured at the end of February) in their learning after COVID-19? The results of the study indicated that a greater percent of students were below benchmarks compared with the end-of-year values. Furthermore, they discovered that students in the lower grades
12
seemed to be affected to a greater point. This finding is no surprise. From the perspective of an instructional leader, it is important to consider what instructional strategies might be employed to assist students in “catching up” the critical skills missed or not mastered from the previous year. Wyse et al. (2020) suggests to think about providing extra resources at early grades to help students catch up or prioritize what skills are taught in these grades. In addition, they suggest to frameworks such as MTSS/RTI frequently to identify needs and target instruction. Lake and Olson (2020) summarized findings from a panel of assessment experts on diagnostic assessments and the role these assessments play in assisting educators and parents support student learning. They furthermore developed seven principles to consider when designing assessments.
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CLAS School Leader
