Recommendations to reduce the number and hours of state tests begin a conversation that must delve deeper into whether tests are being used appropriately.
State Superintendent Richard Ross Jan. 15 presented his recommendations on reducing testing in Ohio to the state legislature. Amidst concerns about over testing students, Ross was directed to research and present a set of recommendations to lessen the number of tests and time spent in test preparation in Ohio classrooms. Research included conversations with educators to get their perspective on the impact of the number of assessments being administered. OFT members very thoroughly presented educator concerns during a two-hour session with Ross.
OFT members shared their observations as professionals on the way that so much testing impacts students, educators and the shrinking, precious time for classroom instruction. They also brought evidence of the amount of over testing being done in schools, including a list of specific tests and the number of hours required to administer them, time that takes away from classroom instruction. They talked extensively about the purpose of testing, how tests and results should be used to improve instruction and the importance of choosing tests that best serve the intended purpose, which seems to be missing in the report issued by Ross. While the testing report does acknowledge the need to reduce testing, it does not address the fact that Ohio is using assessments for the wrong purposes. We will continue to steer the conversation in that direction because we believe assessments, used for the right purposes, can be helpful. However, the current system ignores that. OFT members also specifically pointed out concerns with testing in career tech. Yet the report issued by Ross ignores any concerns with testing as it applies to career tech. OFT also will continue to push this issue as we participate in further conversation about this important issue.
While the OFT is pleased that these recommendations begin the conversation around testing, we hope this is just the beginning of a serious look at how to provide more valuable instructional time as well as reducing the pressures of assessments. Some recommendations require legislative changes while others can be accomplished through the work of ODE. Below is a summary of the recommendations as well as OFT's perspective and reaction.
Recommendations for legislative changes are:
- Limit the amount of time a student takes state and district tests, not including teacher made individual classroom tests, to 2 percent of the school year, while limiting the amount of time spent practicing for tests to 1 percent of the school year. We need more information on how this will be monitored.
- Eliminate the use of student learning objectives (SLOs) as part of the teacher evaluation system for teachers in grades pre K-3 and for teachers teaching in non-core subject areas in grades 4-12. This would not eliminate the need for student growth measures for these teachers. The recommended replacement for SLOs is shared attribution. This raises a red flag. The concern is that 50 percent of evaluations for theses teachers could be based on the growth of students who were never in their classrooms. We have serious concerns about the validity of this recommendation.
- Eliminate the fall third grade reading test, but provide a summer administration of the test for students who need it. This would take the administration of the test out of class time in the fall, but would not eliminate the reading diagnostic requirement.
- Eliminate the state’s requirement that districts give math and writing diagnostic tests to students in grades 1-3.
The recommendations that can be accomplished without legislative change are:
- Working with the federal government to advocate for flexibility for Ohio’s testing system. This means writing an ESEA waiver application. Reauthorization of the ESEA is due this year and Ohio plans to be part of the national conversation around testing requirements in the new ESEA. It is important to note that OFT and AFT will be part of this conversation.
- Closely monitoring the first-year administration of Ohio’s new state tests, including PARCC (English and math) and AIR (science and social studies) tests. We will make any changes necessary to ensure that Ohio’s testing system provides accurate data on student performance in a reasonable way. This is the first year in which PARCC and AIR will be given universally across the state. The assessments will be monitored through the first three years of administration and result in a report issued by December 2017 through the ODE and the State Board of Education.
- Creating models for local schools to increase the efficiency of local testing by finding ways schools may use a single test for multiple purposes. This suggestion also raises red flags since each test has a purpose and a use. To employ assessments for multiple purposes could mean that an assessment is being used improperly for the wrong reasons.
- There needs to be a clear understanding of the purpose for which an assessment is intended and should be used only for that purpose.
- Making changes to the new Kindergarten Readiness Assessment in response to teacher concerns about the disruption the current test causes to classroom instruction. This is a sound recommendation given the concerns OFT teachers have expressed. We will continue to monitor and give input and ideas for making the changes.
- Exploring whether the new state tests can be used for gifted student identification. We need to make sure any assessments selected for this are valid for the purpose of identifying gifted students.
- Implementing the new innovative school district waiver pilot program to develop new and creative ways of testing students. If this recommendation can lead to administering more authentic and performance-based assessments, we would welcome the opportunity to create assessments that demonstrate meaningful learning.