ERIC Number: EJ1366393
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1062-7197
EISSN: EISSN-1532-6977
Available Date: N/A
Early Literacy, Equity, and Test Score Comparability during the Pandemic
Soland, James; McGinty, Anita; Gray, Allison; Solari, Emily J.; Herring, Walter; Xu, Rujun
Educational Assessment, v27 n2 p98-114 2022
Kindergarten entry assessments (KEAs) are frequently used to understand students' early literacy skills. Amidst COVID-19, such assessments will be vital in understanding how the pandemic has affected early literacy, including how it has contributed to inequities in the educational system. However, the pandemic has also created challenges for comparing scores from KEAs across years and modes of administration. In this study, we examine these issues using a KEA administered to most Kindergarten students in Virginia. This screener was rapidly converted to an online platform to ensure students could continue taking it during the pandemic. Results indicate that the sample of students taking the test shifted substantially pre- and post-pandemic, complicating comparisons of performance. While we do not find evidence of noninvariance by mode at the test level, we do see signs that more subtle forms of item-level bias may be at play. Implications for equity, fairness, and inclusion are discussed.
Descriptors: Emergent Literacy, Equal Education, Scores, Comparative Analysis, COVID-19, Pandemics, Kindergarten, School Readiness, Student Evaluation, Identification, At Risk Students, Reading Difficulties, Low Income Students, English Language Learners, Minority Group Students, Socioeconomic Status, Literacy, Phonological Awareness, Screening Tests
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Elementary Education; Kindergarten; Primary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Virginia
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A