43
Poland school calendar likely to change
POLAND
School district officials considered several aspects of state-mandated testing at a meeting this week.
One likely impact of the Common Core curriculum required testing – Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career – will be to push the school calendar forward, an issue which came up during the public comment portion of a school board meeting Tuesday.
Superintendent David Janofa confirmed tentative plans to start the 2016-2017 school year Aug. 22 – pushing the end date up to May 26 – to allow more instructional time before testing begins in the spring.
“A lot of what we’re trying to do is have enough percentage of the school year in before assessments are given,” he said.
The board has not yet taken action to set the calendar for next school year.
Janofa also presented to the board information regarding the 2014-15 Ohio Department of Education report card data that was released last week.
The data provides assessments of kindergarten through third-grade literacy, four- and five-year graduation rates and a category called “prepared for success,” which includes student participation in college admission tests and industry-recognized credentials.
Although expressing excitement for the good results that, in general, the district earned, Janofa and school board members also voiced concerns about several aspects of this version of state testing.
One concern is the number of students who choose to opt out of the tests – roughly 50 last year – since opt-outs negatively affect districts’ grades, Janofa said.
The districts’ grades for this round of testing also were impacted by the fact that ODE lost six individual test results, according to Janofa.
On that issue, he will follow up on board member Elinor Zedaker’s request to contact state legislators who represent the Mahoning Valley.
District officials also appeared concerned about the large amount of time required for state testing – which takes place over a two-month window – and the possibility that testing requirements will change again soon.
“We’re flying the plane and building it at the same time,” Janofa said of state and federal actions on education.