Dissertation of the Year Awardee: Elif Kalemdaroglu Wheeler, EdD

Dissertation Title:  Perceptions of Test Score Pollution Stemming from COVID-19 and State Testing:  An Exploratory Case Study

Program:  Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership

Significance:  COVID-19-induced changes in teaching modality, delivery, and curriculum content may result in test score pollution and affect state standardized test scores. Themes suggested teachers’ and administrators’ perceptions of test preparation, students’ social-emotional well-being, lowering academic expectations, school attendance, and disparities among students as factors stemming from COVID-19-related issues which may affect students’ test scores on state standardized tests. In addition, the validity of current state standardized tests and the interpretation of test scores is a concern among educators.