The General Assembly has given Ohio’s high-school class of 2018 a pass on having to prove, via standardized tests, that they learned things. Now educators must make sure the class of 2019 doesn’t need the same help.
This fall’s public-school seniors still have to earn credit in classes. But they were also supposed to satisfy one of three additional requirements: one based on state end-of-course exams, one that included a WorkKeys exam, or one based on the SAT or ACT.
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Students scheduled to graduate in 2019 still have to meet one of those three requirements. But under a provision in the state budget, the class of 2018 has other options — including just showing up for school 93 percent of the time in senior year and spending 120 hours at an internship. They still have to take the state tests — and retake some if they don’t do well enough the first time. But they can graduate without ever getting a single question right on any standardized test.
There had been concerns that too many students would fail to graduate. Superintendent Tony Orr of the Hamilton schools predicted in October that 20 to 40 percent of his students would not graduate. He said students and teachers were not yet sufficiently familiar with the new end-of-course exams.
Toledo Public Schools executive Jim Gault said there are practice exams for students to take, but “limited” ones that may not include all question types. He said the district was making sure tutoring was available.
Superintendent Orr says he’s “pleased” with the “temporary reprieve,” but there are still concerns. According to preliminary data from the Ohio Department of Education, no more than 62.27 percent of students who took any state high-school end-of-course exam in English or math this past academic year scored proficient or better. While he cannot yet estimate a number of students from the class of 2019 who aren’t on track to graduate, Mr. Orr said, a substantial number will be in trouble under the current requirements.
So what is Ohio to do? Give people who are only halfway through high school now a reprieve too? Lower the requirements permanently?
No. Without exams that measure performance by objective standards, it is hard for the state and the public to be sure that teachers have taught, that students have learned, and that a high-school diploma means something.
Ohio has given up on giving the class of 2018 meaningful diplomas. This fall’s seniors should do their best anyway and seek such evidence of their achievements as they can get.
But for the classes of 2019 and beyond, Ohio should make sure its students meet high standards. That means sticking to the testing requirements, but it also means giving students the resources they need to do well on the exams. Tutoring can help. But multiple, complete practice versions of every exam must be made available. There’s no preparation quite like practice.
There are two years left for 2019’s seniors. Don’t give up on them. Help them.
First Published July 26, 2017, 4:00 a.m.