Local schools concerned about standardized testing in Ohio

Shelbie Goulding February 13, 2019February 13, 2019 0 Comments

By: Akii Butler and Shelbie Goulding

In recent years, standardized testing has been one of the major issues when it comes to education. During this time, many felt that schools put too much emphasis on testing and not on making sure students understand the learning material they have been introduced to.

In 2018, during his campaign for Governor, Gov. Mike DeWine echoed the same sentiments when he introduced his new plan for education, which included less standardized testing and more focus on the students. On his website www.mikedewine.com/education Gov. DeWine states:

“Standardized tests are limiting educator’s creativity and forcing them to teach to a test. This interferes with a child’s ability to think creatively and problem solve. The DeWine-Husted Administration will reduce the number of tests that students are required to take, and will provide parents and teachers with more meaningful and timely results.”

With this, the Gov. DeWine was able to draw even more support which helped him win and retain republican control, in November of 2018, against his democratic opponent, Richard Cordray.

“I think it’s a good move,” said Superintendent George Joseph of Kent City Schools. “There has to be a balance for kids in the classroom, it shouldn’t be too far on the testing side of things, we have to find a balance where teachers are focusing on the child and what they are learning, not so much on testing.”

Pamela Harr, an English 12 and public speaking teacher at Theodore Roosevelt High School, sees students struggle with standardized testing.

“The whole testing schedule takes a lot of class time,” Harr said, “so they spend a lot of time outside the classroom just doing the actual testing.”

With time spent focusing on testing, students spend less time on the learning aspect of getting an education.

“As far as what happens in class, minimums become maximums,” Harr said. “I’m not saying that’s happening at Roosevelt, but a lot of places, people will teach the test just to make sure their kids do okay because funding is tied to it and your name gets published in the paper with your scores.” When this happens, she said students and teachers become so obsessed with testing that they forget the purpose of getting an education, which is learning.

“It’s frustrating because there’s something called value-added, where scores on test are attached to how you’re assessed as a teacher,” Harr said.

Although Harr’s senior classes aren’t attached to her evaluations, she sees 9^th and 10^th grade educators getting frustrated with testing due to heavy testing in those grade levels. “People don’t want to teach that grade because it affects their evaluation and how they teach,” she said.

Harr said the pressure of testing in addition to all the other stuff that comes with being a teacher is not helping students learn the best way, and although Kent isn’t seeing as many problems with standardized testing, other schools in the district and the state of Ohio are frustrated with it.

“Kent, we’re pretty progressive as to how we approach testing,” Harr said, “but a lot of districts, it’s just you live and die by that test. The stress on teachers to make sure their students score at the level they need to score is just ridiculous.”

For years, many have felt there has been too much testing and has ultimately hindered students.

“Being a sophomore in high school, I felt like everything was thrown at me and I didn’t have time to breathe,” said Patrick Ferguson, a sociology major here at Kent State University. “I had to take the OGT, the ACT and the PSAT. I thought my head was gonna explode.”

View the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT) results for Kent City Schools here:

webapp2.ode.state.oh.us/proficiency_reports/ogt/csvtoasp.asp?filename=March_2015_OGT_Public.csv&county=portage&Go=Go

Superintendent Joseph felt the same way and said “We went from the proficiency test, to the AIR test, to the Parcc test. It’s constantly moving and not giving students a chance to hit the target. I’m one who believes set the target and allow those to hit it.”

Map of Kent City Schools: