Ohio’s State Assessments:
What do families need to know?
November 2015
Overview of Workshop
1. Ohio’s Learning Standards and Assessments
2. How to Understand Test Results
3. Update on Ohio’s State Tests
4. Additional Resources for Parents
1
About Ohio’s
Learning Standards
& Assessments
Ohio’s Learning Standards
• In 2010, Ohio adopted higher, more focused standards to
better prepare students for college, technical schools, and
careers.
• Our education system was falling short in developing the
critical-thinking and problem-solving skills needed to compete
with students from anywhere in the world.
• This is the 6th year that Ohio school districts and teachers will
be using their own locally developed curriculum based on the
Ohio Learning Standards.
• New standards required new state tests that better measure
these skills and allow students to show what they know and
what they can do.
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How Do I Know What My Child
is Expected to Learn?
PTA developed grade-specific
“Guides to Student Success” so
you could understand the skills
your child should master and what
he or she is expected to know
every year:
www.PTA.org/CommonCore
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State Tests Aligned to Ohio’s Learning Standards
State Tests help to:
•
Measure students’ progress toward mastering state learning standards
•
Enable educators to identify gaps in student progress and tailor instruction for
each child’s specific needs as they move forward into the next grade
•
Facilitate communication between teachers and parents about student
progress and specific needs for additional support
•
Compare student performance across schools and districts statewide to help
identify additional support or resources needed
•
Ensure all children have equal access to high quality education
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The Academic Checkup
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Types of Assessments/Tests

Formative Assessments: Short activities teachers engage in
throughout the year to assess knowledge and skills in specific areas
and adjust instruction:
• Observation of student work
• Quick daily checks such as exit tickets
• Assignments and quizzes

Progress Monitoring: Tests given at various points during the
school year to measure students for adequate progress

Summative Assessments: These include most standardized tests,
end of unit tests, and end of course tests. These show parents and
teachers where students are in mastering grade level content and
skills.
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What the Ohio State Tests Measure. . .
• Whether students can read and understand texts of varying
complexities.
• How well students use information from several sources to make a
persuasive argument.
English
they can write, using what they’ve read and using print
Language Arts • Whether
and other multi-media sources to support their arguments.
• Whether students can understand and use important math ideas
(i.e., number sense, algebraic thinking, geometry, and data
analysis).
Math
• How students use math facts and reasoning skills to solve realworld problems.
• How well students can justify their answers using math concepts.
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What is Different About these Tests?
The new tests go beyond the “bubble test.”
Students show their work through:
• Extended writing and multi-step questions which require students to apply the
skills they have learned.
They measure:
•
•
•
•
Problem-solving
Writing
Critical thinking
Reading Comprehension
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How To Interpret
Test Results
New Tests = New Baselines
• These tests are considered more thorough and rigorous
than previous Ohio Achievement Assessments (OAAs and
OGTs).
• With a greater emphasis on deeper learning, we have
raised the bar for our students, parents, and teachers.
• This new bar cannot be compared to the old one.
• The scores are not higher or lower, just different because
we are measuring different things.
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What Will Results Look Like From The 2014-2015
Ohio PARCC Tests for ELA and Math ?
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How Will Scores be Used?
Test results will help schools to:
• Make instructional decisions for the next school year.
• Determine individual needs of students:
 Extra support?
 More challenging work?
 Recommendations for future classes?
• By Ohio law, scores do not impact GPA, class ranking, or
grade promotion.
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Ohio’s Assessment Test
Updates for 2015-2016
State Test Updates for 2015-2016
• As part of the state’s 2016-2017 budget, the General
Assembly directed the Ohio Department of Education
(ODE) to transition to new tests in mathematics and
English language arts for the 2015-2016 school year.
• Ohio will no longer use PARCC (The Partnership for
Assessment of Readiness of College and Careers) tests
in mathematics and English language arts.
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State Test Updates for 2015-2016
The state’s 2016-2017 budget also requires that tests will
be:
• Shorter than tests given last school year
• Administered once per year in a single testing window
• Given during the second half of the school year
And further:
• High schools may give end-of-course tests in the first
semester if they are on a block schedule
• Third grade reading results will return no later than
June 15
• Results will be provided no later than June 30 of each
school year
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State Test Updates for 2015-2016
How will Math and English Language Arts differ this year?
• American Institutes for Research (AIR) is working with ODE
and Ohio teachers to build the English Language Arts and
Math State Tests for Ohio for the 2015-2016 school year.
• The Ohio State tests will be based on our Ohio Learning
Standards.
• All Ohio State Tests will be on the AIR platform for 20152016.
• Ohio’s educators and content specialists are serving on
Content Advisory Committees.
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State Test Updates for 2015-2016
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State Test Updates for 2015-2016
Test Dates
• The 2015-2016 testing dates for English Language Arts,
mathematics, science and social studies are posted on the
ODE website.
• Each test will be approximately 3 hours long.
• Districts can choose to use the paper/pencil or online version
or a combination of both.
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State Test Updates for 2015-2016
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State Test Updates for 2015-2016
Safe Harbor on Test Results
• As part of the transition to the new state tests, the legislature
extended a number of safe harbor provisions.
• Gives schools, teachers and students time to adjust to the new
tests.
• No consequences for students tied to the results of the state
tests given in the 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17 school years.
• Ohio School Report Cards will not have an overall letter grade
until the report card released in 2018.
• Teacher Evaluations will begin using state test data again in
Spring of 2018 using data from 2016-2017 test.
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State Test Updates for 2015-2016
Third Grade Reading
• The Ohio Achievement Assessments (OAA) will no longer be
administered.
• Ohio’s State Test in grade 3 English Language Arts replaces
the third grade reading OAA and will meet the requirements of
the Third Grade Reading Guarantee.
• As part of the Third Grade Reading Guarantee, Ohio’s Third
Grade English Language Arts State Test will be administered
during a 5 day window each district can select between Nov.
30 to Dec. 11. It will also be administered in the Spring.
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Great Resources to Help
Parents Understand
Assessment Tests
and Support their
Child’s Learning
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Where Can I Find More Info?
Great Web Sites
• PARCC : Reading, Writing, Math: www.parcconline.org and
http://understandthescore.org/
• Ohio’s State Tests Portal: http://oh.portal.airast.org/ocba/
• Parent Friendly Information: BeALearningHero.org and
Facebook.com/bealearninghero
• Ohio Department of Education: http://education.ohio.gov/
• National PTA: www.PTA.org/CommonCore
• Ohio PTA: www.ohioPTA.org
• The Ohio Standard: http://www.theohstandard.org
• Great Schools: http://www.greatschools.org/gk/milestones/
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Ohio’s State Assessments:
What do families need to know?
Questions?