By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
State legislators have been listening to school officials concerned about too much testing for students with too little input from educators.
On Tuesday evening, State Senator Randy Gardner, R-Bowling Green, said there is an “excellent chance” that school testing requirements will be changed.
“I think there is substantial agreement” that changes are needed, he said when contacted by phone.
That should be good news to the more than 300 school superintendents and board members who rallied in Columbus Tuesday to ask state legislators to rework the graduation requirements in Ohio.
Bowling Green Superintendent Francis Scruci joined the “historic” rally Tuesday morning at the Statehouse. About half of the superintendents in Ohio took part in the rally to raise the issues of over-testing of students, inaccuracies of district “report cards” from the state, and graduation requirements.
“Decisions continue to be made without the input of those on the ground and in the classrooms,” Scruci at the Bowling Green Board of Education meeting Tuesday evening after he returned from Columbus.
Scruci said it was “disappointing” that no legislators attended the rally. “I did not see one legislator who felt compelled to come out to see what going on.”
But it appears legislators have been listening.
Gardner, who was just named Senate Majority Leader on Tuesday, said he has been meeting with the Senate Education Committee chairman and state school superintendent on changing the testing requirements for graduation. Gardner said some of the testing has been mandated by the federal government. However, the new Every Student Succeed Act grants states more flexibility, he said.
“We want to grant more flexibility to local school districts,” he added.
Over the next six months, Gardner said he expects meetings to be held with school superintendents, teachers, curriculum directors and school board members.
“All will be at the table,” he said.
That is exactly what school officials have been asking for – fewer tests and more input.
The concern is that the latest testing standards are expected to keep many students from graduating. The standards place too much emphasis on test taking – and not enough on daily learning, educators have said.
“There needs to be some reform,” Scruci said, calling upon the state to take action. “Do the right thing for kids.”
Starting next year, students no longer will be required to pass the Ohio Graduation Test to receive a diploma. Instead, they will have to meet one of three options: earn 18 out of a possible 35 points on seven end-of-course exams taken during high school; get a “remediation-free” score on a college entrance exam; or obtain an industry credential indicating they are ready for a job.
Across the state, school district officials have said that 20 to 50 percent of their students have failed the exams, meaning they are at risk of not graduating.
Bowling Green High School Principal Jeff Dever said the junior class has less than 20 students who have not yet reached the scores to graduate. They will have more opportunities to retake those tests, he said.
Scruci said that while few Bowling Green students are at risk of failing, the system is still very wrong. “There still needs to be reform,” he said.
“We will continue to advocate for teachers, students and citizens,” Scruci said.
Scruci also called upon newly-elected State Rep. Theresa Gavarone, R-Bowling Green, to stand up for public education.
“She said that she supported public education,” Scruci said of Gavarone, who has been appointed to the House Education Committee. “She’s going to have to get involved right away.”
Scruci repeated those feelings at the school board meeting. “It’s one thing to say you support public education. It’s another to put it in action.”
In other business Tuesday evening, the board of education learned that 46 donors had already joined the “Adopt-a-Door” program to help put “The Boot” safety device on every school door in the district. The devices cost $200 each.
“We can’t thank our community members enough for their generosity for keeping our students safe and our staff safe,” Scruci said.
The board also accepted the donation of 30 calculators, valued at $3,720, from Lubrizol corporation to the high school math department.
