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GCS Plans In-person Testing To Assess Impact Of Pandemic On Learning

Guilford County Schools is North Carolina's third largest school system and serves around 70,000 students. KERI BROWN/WFDD

The Guilford County School district is partnering with a national group to assess learning loss during the pandemic.

Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) will measure student academic progress.

Guilford County Schools Superintendent Sharon Contreras says since schools closed to in-person learning, the district hasn't had a reliable way to measure student skills in reading and math. The assessment will be used to inform instruction, personalize learning, and monitor the growth of individual students.

Kids will take a computer-adaptive test, which means if a student answers a question correctly, the next question is more challenging. If they answer incorrectly, the next one is easier, allowing them to perform at their current level.

The tests will be administered in-person, but students will have the ability to be remote if needed.

Grades K-2 will begin testing the week of December 8. Students in grades 3 through 10 will do so after the winter break.

This comes as 40% of GCS students failed at least one course during the first quarter of this school year. That's compared to 29% during the same time last year.

Earlier this week, state education officials released some alarming pandemic data to lawmakers. They say fewer students could graduate and more students may have to repeat the school year. Absences are also up, and enrollment is down in public schools by more than 50,000 students.

For the most up-to-date information on coronavirus in North Carolina, visit our Live Updates blog here. WFDD wants to hear your stories — connect with us and let us know what you're experiencing.

Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

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