GREAT FALLS — The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), a routine measurement of learning nationwide, has been postponed until 2022. The National Center for Education Statistics, which administers the tests, said the assessments could not be safely conducted during the pandemic.
The announcement comes as schools across Montana continue to juggle a combination of remote and in-person learning, and as some parents in certain districts remain unsure about the quality of education their students are receiving.
The NAEP is given to fourth and eighth graders every two years. It measures proficiency in several subjects and serves as a gauge for how states are keeping pace with standardized curriculum across the country.
Elsie Arntzen, Montana’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, said she understands the concerns of some parents about learning loss during the pandemic, but she hopes the circumstances will strengthen relationships between parents, teachers and students.
“Yes, it’s a challenge that the test has been postponed, it’ll begin again in 2022,” she said. “The triangle that I have between school, family and students right now, we need to maintain, and we need to maintain that it’s all about learning — it’s not about a test.”
