An Important Message for West Clermont Parents
School districts across the State of Ohio are working hard to assure that all of our
students are prepared to do their very best on the upcoming assessments. Here in
West Clermont, our staff has been hard at work refining the new standards,
planning appropriate instruction, delivering high quality and engaging activities and
yes, taking snapshots of how your sons and daughters are progressing.
The State of Ohio has made a significant commitment to these new state tests that
are intended to serve as an accountability mechanism for schools. As a result,
districts across the state have invested significant time and resources to this process
including retooling our entire curriculum. West Clermont is no different. That being
said, in W.C. classrooms we already use diagnostic tools to regularly monitor
student progress. We believe diagnostic assessments show what skills and
knowledge a student has acquired and what a student has yet to learn in more of a
real-time way. This information is incredibly valuable to our teachers as they plan
their instruction and work with their students both in large and small group
settings. Our assessments help INFORM instruction and, in the end, IMPROVE
student achievement long term. The big difference is having tools that help us
diagnose learning instead of seeing how our students did well after the student has
moved on to the next grade level. While I appreciate the recent attention and move
to reduce the amount of time spent testing, this reduction needs to focus on the
high-stakes State tests and not the diagnostic assessments that will actually improve
daily instruction in classrooms.
I will continue to voice my deep concern with high stakes testing and to the stress
that it places on our students and staff. In the meantime, you may be asking what, as
a parent, can I do? Like it or not, the system is set up so that students who opt out of
taking the state tests are recorded as a “zero” for that child’s teacher, school and our
district. Opting out will impact a teacher’s final performance rating for the year and
can cause buildings and/or the district being forced to implement bureaucratic
improvement strategies over multiple years. If you have a third grader who does not
take the test, he/she may be retained in third grade. Further, if you have a high
school student, he/she may not be able to graduate on time without having taken,
and passed, the appropriate tests. Specific details about this can be found on the
Ohio Department of Education’s website:
http://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/53dc1f3e-11f1-4093-875c090e160b187f/Guidance-on-Student-Participation-in-State-Tests.pdf.aspx
It would, however, be appropriate for parents and staff to work within the system to
affect change. As a resident of this area, you have the right to contact your
*representatives to express your frustration with the amount of high-stakes testing
your child is experiencing in school. Whether your child is experiencing this stress
or not, I would encourage you to write, email or call your representatives to express
your thoughts about what is going on. I have included their contact information
below for your use.
Since the start of this school year, I have been actively engaged with
superintendents across the region and state to advocate for your kids. I intend to
continue that work as we attempt to bring common sense back to education in Ohio.
Here is what I believe:
• When used for appropriate purposes, diagnostic assessments help improve
student performance.
• Our students and teachers are beyond the breaking point as a result of the over
emphasis on high stakes tests and accountability measures.
• There is too much testing and it takes far too much time away from teaching and
learning.
• State tests, as they currently stand, are being used for different purposes than they
were designed.
• Local assessments, when used appropriate, help inform and shape instruction so
that all students achieve.
• We need to return local control of our schools to our communities.
Through advocating for our kids, I will continue to push for the following:
• No more than one state test per grade, per year.
• Eliminate the state requirement for excessive hours of readiness testing for
incoming Kindergartners – we can do this work ourselves AND be ready for
instruction on the first day of school.
• Eliminate the Third Grade Reading Guarantee that is used to label students as off
track for promotion to the fourth grade – 98% of West Clermont third graders
passed last year.
• Recommend assessing reading at grades 3 and 6, math at grades 4 and 7, science at
grade 5, social studies at grade 8. High School students can be assessed taking a
normed ACT for assessment of English, mathematics, reading, science, and writing.
In West Clermont, we will continue to focus on growing ALL our students to their
full potential. That includes using assessments appropriately to enhance what our
teachers do in the classroom each day. That should be the focus as we work to
improve achievement for all.
As always, if you have questions about what is taking place in your schools, do not
hesitate to talk with your building principal or call the District Office. We are here to
work with you in order to provide your children the best experience possible.
Sincerely,
Dr. Keith Kline – Superintendent
West Clermont Local School District
*State representatives and contact information:
Representative John Becker, District 65, 77 S. High St, 12th Floor, Columbus, OH
43215, Phone (614) 466-8134, Fax (614) 719-3966,
Email John@BeckerGOP.com
Dr. Richard Ross – Superintendent, Ohio Department of Education, 25 South Front
Street, Columbus, OH 43215, Phone (877) 644-6338,
Email Superintendent@education.ohio.gov
Senator Joe Uecker, District 14, Senate Building, 1 Capitol Square, 1st Floor,
Columbus, OH 43215, Phone (614) 466-8082, Email Uecker@ohiosenate.gov
Representative Doug Green, District 66, 77 S. High St, 13th Floor, Columbus, OH
43215, Phone (614) 644-6034, Fax (614) 719-6988,
Email Rep66@ohiohouse.gov
- See more at:
http://www.westcler.k12.oh.us/districtNewsArticle.aspx?artID=32263#sthash.ZK4
s7huP.dpuf