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UD professor serves as policy expert on national report about equitable educational assessments

by | April 19, 2021

Photo by Kathy F. Atkinson
Kenneth Shores

Kenneth Shores is an assistant professor in the University of Delaware School of Education.

As the end of the 2020-21 school year approaches, the debate about educational assessments is gaining renewed momentum. While educators and policymakers may hold differing views about how to proceed with testing, they all recognize that equity lies at the heart of this issue.

Some argue that educational assessments provide valuable information for understanding how the pandemic has affected learning, especially among students from underrepresented backgrounds. Others argue that these tests, especially in today’s context, will not accurately reflect learning among students who need the most support.

Kenneth Shores, assistant professor in the University of Delaware School of Education, served as an educational policy expert for the National Academy of Education’s report “Educational Assessments in the COVID-19 Era and Beyond,” which synthesizes the thinking of a group of scholars, policy leaders, and educators about this issue.

In an interview with UDaily, Shores shares highlights from the report, including recommendations for developing equitable assessment systems.