Assessment in K-12 Online Learning Contexts

While future research of K-12 assessment will no doubt concern itself with the impact of AI, there are specific assessment questions that need to be addressed outside of AI in K-12 virtual school settings. The six questions provided in this article highlight the importance of considering several themes when conducting research focused on assessment in K-12 virtual school settings. The article suggests actionable research-based foundations for each research question, highlighting what is known regarding assessment in K-12 virtual settings and suggesting future directions for research. Research foundations for each question are described thematically across five themes. The five themes focus on understanding test validity, reliability, and fairness across the domains of multi-modality, instruction, system design, serving special populations, and providing accurate and usable standardized assessment measures. Research based on this agenda can foster a period of K-12 virtual scholarship that provides reform and revision for K-12 virtual school assessment that makes learning more valid, reliable, and fair for K-12 virtual students.