The U.S. Department of Education announced Monday that states will have to return to giving students standardized tests.

The standardized tests, which were given to high school students and students in grades three through eight, were not required in 2020 as a result of widespread school closures as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to a 2018 article in The Classroom standardized test results can affect school funding and some districts may link teacher pay to standardized test scores.

A USA Today article from Monday explains that although schools will be required to administer the tests this year, they will not be held accountable for the results.  Individual states would reportedly be allowed to give the exams remotely, shorten them or even delay giving the tests until next summer or fall.

Educators and experts can be found on both sides of the standardized testing issue.

Some contend that it is crucial to begin testing students again to help judge the impact that COVID-19 school closures have had on U.S. students.  Others feel that placing too much emphasis on test results can stifle classroom creativity and could perhaps lead to economically distressed schools loosing additional funding.