The House Education Committee reverted back Wednesday to initial language of a bill to address testing opt-outs and their effect on report cards, stripping additions that had included punishment for teachers who encouraged students not to take assessments. But the committee chairman, Rep. Andrew Brenner (R-Powel), said administrative action to add new data on opt-outs to the forthcoming report card had taken the urgency out of the situation. He said he'd like to wait to see how this year's assessments play out before deciding how to proceed on the bill.
The Ohio Department of Education said Tuesday it would include a "modified achievement measure" on report card data due for release Thursday, Feb. 25 to reflect the effect of opt-outs.
The committee accepted an amendment to HB420 that, according to the Legislative Service Commission, removed all provisions but the uncodified language in the original bill calling for two scores to be calculated on report cards, one including out-outs and one not.
Brenner said he anticipates the switch to new, shorter assessments from American Institutes for Research (AIR) will alleviate some of the concerns associated with last year's assessments from the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), which he described as "a fiasco."
The chairman said he's heard from superintendents on both sides of the argument on HB420, saying those with substantial numbers of opt-outs want action, while those without the problem say introducing the additional information could cause confusion.
Among a few witnesses on the legislation Wednesday was Matt Verber of StudentsFirst Ohio who testified as an opponent of the legislation while also expressing support for ODE's action.
Verber said the 95 percent participation requirement for assessments in federal law is important to assuring that subgroups of students, like those with disabilities or who are not native English speakers, are not left behind.
Verber also expressed concern that accommodations for opt-outs will only spur further opt-outs and further legislative accommodations.
He said he can support ODE's action because it provides additional data for districts to be able to engage with parents on the issue of opt-outs and their effects, while staying in place for only one year and not creating two separate Performance Index scores.
Also testifying was Darold Johnson, speaking for President Cropper of the Ohio Federation of Teachers who expressed gratitude for removal of the language on penalizing teachers, saying they shouldn't be punished for a movement parents, not teachers, were leading. He said the larger issue is ensuring a testing regimen that parents and teachers can support and that promotes learning.
Anthony Podijil, executive director of the Alliance for High Quality Education, testified in support of the bill, saying it's important to provide districts with data that will help them communicate the effect of opt-outs.
"We believe that provisions in HB420 will provide a more accurate picture of their district’s achievement. At the same time, we hope it will restore confidence among those who chose not to participate in the value of the state testing program and how their results fit with what the districts are doing in the classroom on a day-to-day basis," he said.
Chad Aldis of the Fordham Institute also submitted written opponent testimony.
Story originally published in The Hannah Report on February 10, 2016
Hannah News Summary - House Education Committee Feb. 10, 2016
Rep. Brenner, chairman
Chairman Brenner told committee members the Ohio Department of Education would make a presentation in a couple weeks on the new federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
HB212 ACADEMIC STANDARDS-CURRICULA (Thompson A) With regard to state achievement assessments, statewide academic content standards and model curricula, and teacher and administrator evaluations.
The committee heard proponent testimony from Tom Dunn, superintendent of Miami County Educational Service Center, and also received written proponent testimony from James Millet, Gregory Soper, Patty Russo, Karen Turner, Kristi Payne, Mary Capella, Royce Harsoe, Millie Gilmore and two individuals who identified themselves as "concerned Butler County resident" and "concerned mother."
Dunn said the practices that encourage successful development of children and students have very little relation to what the state and federal governments mandate schools to do, saying it starts at birth with parents' and grandparents' interest and engagement. He said educators spend an inordinate amount of time enforcing legislative mandates that override the wisdom of local professionals who know how best to help children.
Rep. Henne noted the federal government drives a lot of these policies by making them requirements to receive federal money, and he asked if districts would be willing to accept the loss of funding to regain control. Dunn said he doubted districts would be willing to accept the financial harm, but said most of the people on the committee had likely graduated before the federal requirement for standards.
In answer to other committee questions, Dunn said his objection is not so much to the standards and the testing, as it is to state and federal officials' insistence that those practices will solve all the problems. He said there are countless things in a student's life that determine his or her success, and academic standards have little to do with it.
HB420 OPT-OUTS-STATE ASSESSMENTS (Roegner K) To prohibit the Department of Education from including students who "opt-out" of state assessments in calculations of certain grades in the state report card and to declare an emergency.
BILL AMENDED
HB399 COLLEGE CREDIT PLUS-HOME INSTRUCTION (Koehler K) To increase the earmarked funding for the College Credit Plus Program for home instructed students.
Rep. Koehler said in sponsor testimony that his bill would ensure home school students have greater access to the College Credit Plus program. He explained that the $500,000 set aside for home school students was not sufficient to meet demand, and students who aren't yet seniors have been denied requests to participate, whereas all traditional school students in grades seven to 12 have access. He said the Ohio Department of Education has estimated increasing the funding set aside for home school students to $1.5 million would be sufficient to meet the demand. Koehler emphasized the bill does not appropriate new money but simply shifts money to this purpose. He said the General Assembly needs to act before June 30 to address the issue in time for the next academic year.
Reps. Cupp and Patterson asked about the source of the funding and whether shifting $1 million would create problems elsewhere. Koehler said he'd provide more details on the funding but said ODE had recommended the amount.
Rep. Henne asked why all students couldn't just draw from the same funding pool, regardless of whether they're home schooled. Koehler said he's sure home educators would support such a concept, but the bill provides a simple fix based on how HB64 was written.