MAHONING VALLEY School achievement tests introduced

One superintendent expressed frustration over changing requirements.
By JoANNE VIVIANO
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Area educators gathered at Youngstown State University on Monday were asked to ponder the following question:
The angle of the roof on Kaya's dollhouse is 56 degrees. She built a scale model of the dollhouse with a scale ratio of 1:4. What is the measure of the angle of the roof of the model?
A. 14 degrees; B. 34 degrees; C. 56 degrees; or D. 224 degrees.
The answer: C.
Later, the educators were asked to guess how many Ohio 10th-graders answered the question correctly on a March test.
The answer: 32 percent.
The educators met with Ohio Department of Education personnel for a "Take the Test" event. They took a 15-question sample test, with five questions coming from the new third-grade reading achievement test, five from the new Ohio Graduation Test of reading and five from the new Ohio Graduation Test of math. DOE officials are hoping they will share what they've experienced with parents, other educators and community groups.
"We've dealt with this for quite a while," said Scott Weingart, administrative assistant for West Branch schools and principal at Beloit Elementary. "Being able to take something like this and use it with our parents in our districts would be very helpful in showing what students are going to see at various levels. I'm glad to see that the focus is on trying to help parents understand what's affecting kids, because they're a critical part."
Changing standards
Samples of test questions and other information are available on the DOE Web site at www.ode.state.oh.us; select Proficiency/Testing from the topic menu.
Achievement tests for grades three to nine and the 10th-grade OGT are being introduced into the state proficiency test system. By March 2006, the fourth-, sixth- and ninth-grade proficiency tests will have been completely phased out and replaced by a new exam structure. Like the proficiency exams, the new exams test reading, writing, math, science and social studies; however, they are spread out over more grades.
Also, instead of the ninth-grade proficiency test, passage of the 10th-grade OGT will be required to earn a diploma.
Educators and parents felt that all five tests at one time were too much, said Patti Grey, director of communications for the DOE. The new assessments also were required for the state to comply with state and federal mandates.
So far, only the new third-grade reading assessment and the OGT reading and math exams have been created.
These are the topics educators were tested on during Monday's event.
Mixed opinions
Struthers Superintendent Sandi DiBacco expressed frustration over the continuously changing testing requirements.
"It's very scary that we change from day to day," she said, saying that information on kindergarten through second-grade assessments printed in a district-wide newsletter was obsolete the day it was mailed. "I don't count on anything until the day it happens."
However, DiBacco said she supports diagnostic testing as a tool for educators.
"Let's see if they improved, not what the state sets as a benchmark," she said. For example, she said a child who enters and exits kindergarten able to count to 10 may have learned less than the child who enters kindergarten not knowing how to count and who leaves with the ability to count to five.
DiBacco said she also appreciates that the state has identified state curriculum standards that show educators what youngsters should know.
"I think it's making us, as educators, look more closely at teaching so kids are at least getting the same concepts," she said.
viviano@vindy.com