My child, your child and my students in Ohio are all being over tested. I have to ask why and you should too!
When I read material like, "Standardized tests produce data that we can look at and identify achievement gaps. Then if we don't see the scores of low performing racial groups increase... teachers, schools, and students are held accountable to punishments of funding cuts, charter school conversion, withholding diplomas among other consequences. The idea is that these threats will lead to higher test scores for students from low income families and students of color." (Wayne Au)
This makes me beyond frustrated. I dedicate my days trying to teach to this system and give hope. Hope to my students that they can do it. They can earn a high school diploma, employment, college and more.
It is getting harder and harder to stay motivated. As a Career Tech Teacher, I see first hand how my students can demonstrate their career skills in hands-on real world lab, internship settings, projects and industry credential portfolio entries. Then I have to schedule time for them to do practice test for Ohio Webxams for Career Tech, The national industry credential test and then Ohio added the Workkeys test. Ohio has a website, Ohiomeansjobs, often used by those on unemployment benefits, but should we be thankful to Ohio for offering free practice test for Workkeys, owned by ACT, or the website having practice test for ACT, ASVAB, or the Accuplacer used by Columbus State Community College. I think not because these test are to much.
I lost 3 weeks of teaching time, to administer & teach practice workkeys test to students; students who are overwhelmed and feeling hopeless because they are already struggling to pass the Ohio end of course exams called AIR test. These same students will miss another 6 days of classes retaking the AIR assessments. This means I have less time to teach and help them complete portfolio entries and practice for the industry credential test, that will help them keep employment and earn college credit for this work.
I'm asking for elected officials to think about education in Ohio and the barriers we are putting on children and especially children of poverty and race minority's; the social group who gets stuck in this retake cycle at higher percentage rates. I see it first hand, the children who are retaking retaking retaking. I watch how they feel defeated, how they give up and how can I blame them? How can I show them a way out a way to pass?
Ohio, is 1 of 9 states that are continuing this ineffective model. I ask you what is the purpose of schooling, I thought is was to make productive members of society? I know that if my students could focus on an industry credential of their choice they would be productive employeed citizens instead of defeated young people who decide to repeat the pattern of poverty & give up!
We must stop pushing this pass the test culture. I am not defined by my ACT score are you? What are we doing to our children. Please support this to end #overtestedOH !!!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Rebecca McGrath H.
