Ohio: Frequently Asked Questions for Families

Why Does my Child Take the Ohio Achievement Assessments?

The federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) requires all states to establish academic standards that show what students should know and be able to do in reading and mathematics at the end of each grade. NCLB also requires states to test all students in grades 3–8 annually in reading and mathematics to assess how well students are meeting the Academic Content Standards. The results of the assessments are used to identify districts, schools and students that may require additional resources to meet state Academic Content Standards.

How do the Ohio Achievement Assessments Benefit my Child?

The Achievement Assessments ensure that families and teachers know whether each student has learned the reading and math skills and information expected at each grade level. The Achievement Assessments can also help identify specific areas in which a student needs extra support and practice. Teachers and families can then work together to ensure that a student gets the help that he or she needs.

The Achievement Assessments also help identify when students have gained a strong understanding of grade-level materials and may be ready to be challenged by more advanced concepts and activities.

What Happens if my Child Does Not Score Proficient on the Achievement Assessments?

These test results are one of the factors (but not the only factor) teachers use to evaluate a child’s readiness to move to the next grade. Teachers also look at the child’s attendance, classroom participation and class work to determine whether the child is ready to be promoted.

If your child does not score at or above the proficient level on any of the assessments, this is an indication that he or she is having difficulty learning the skills and developing the knowledge expected of his or her grade level and may need additional help. You may wish to talk to your child’s teacher(s) about the assessment results and the resources that can help ensure his or her success.

Why does my child have two scores for the Grade 3 Reading Assessment?

The Grade 3 Reading Assessment is given twice a year based on Ohio law. The Third Grade Guarantee was implemented to ensure that grade 3 students would be reading at grade level by the end of the school year.

What Happens if my Child’s School Does not Perform Well on the Assessments?

If a school does not perform as well as expected on the assessments, the district and state may offer the school additional teacher training, extra instructional materials, coaching from experienced educators, and other resources.

If a school does not meet test performance goals for several years in a row, students at that school may receive additional educational options, such as the chance to transfer to another school in the district or free after-school tutoring.

Do Students with Special Needs or Children who do not Speak English as a First Language Take the Same Tests as Children in General Education Programs?

Schools are responsible for ensuring that all students, including students with disabilities and students identified as English language learners, acquire the knowledge and skills expected at each grade level. Therefore, all students take the statewide Achievement Assessments.

Students with disabilities may take the tests with allowable accommodations, such as extended time or reading aloud of directions and test questions, or may take an alternate version of the assessment called the Ohio Alternate Assessment for Students with Disabilities (AASWD), which is designed specifically for students with significant cognitive disabilities.

Students who are not proficient in English may be given support, such as a dictionary and/or extra time to complete the tests. Students who are not proficient in English and meet eligibility criteria may be given additional support, such as an interpreter in the student’s native language.

Where Can I See Samples of the Questions that Appeared on the Assessments?

The Success Web site contains questions that were released from each fall Grade 3 Reading and spring Achievement Assessment. These questions can be found in the “Understanding Test Results” section (select a subject, grade and release year to view the released questions from that assessment).

A detailed explanation of correct and incorrect answers accompanies each released question, as well as an easy-to-understand section on the concepts that students need to know and understand in order to respond to the question successfully.

For multiple-choice questions, the Web site presents all of the answer choices along with rationales that explain why each choice is correct or incorrect. For constructed-response questions, the Web site presents scoring guidelines and examples of responses for each score point.

Who Writes the Test Questions that Appear on the Assessments?

The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) works with an independent assessment contractor to develop the test questions that appear on the Achievement Assessments. All test questions are reviewed for content, grade appropriateness, fairness, and sensitivity by committees that are made up of Ohio educators and stakeholders.

Test questions are based on Ohio’s Academic Content Standards, which were developed and adopted with input from teachers, families, school personnel, and community members across the state.

What Resources are Available to Help my Child Improve His or Her Performance on the Tests? Are Practice Tests Available?

Several resources are available to help students improve performance on the assessments:

• The Success Web site allows students, families and teachers to interact with test questions that were used on previous assessments. These released test questions are viewable online along with the rationale for why the “key” is correct and why the incorrect options are wrong. Additionally, a mini-lesson is embedded in the “What knowledge do students need to understand this concept?” tab for students to try in an effort to build on their understanding of the concept(s) related to each question.
• The Success Web site also provides online practice tests that students can take on their own. Teachers may assign specific tests to students for homework, or teachers may assign existing tests and/or create custom tests that focus on specific content standards.
• Your child’s teacher may also be able to recommend additional ways your child can improve his or her performance.
• The Family Score Reports include suggested activities to help your child practice specific skills.
• You may also consult the “Resources” section of the Success Web site for more links to instructional tools.
• Downloadable practice tests for the Grades 3–8 Achievement Assessments are available on ODE’s Web site.
• Released test materials for Ohio’s Grades 3–8 Achievement Assessments are available on ODE’s Web site.

How are Assessment Scores Determined?

There are different types of questions on the assessments–multiple choice, short answer, extended response, and writing prompt. Each question type is scored differently:

• Multiple-choice questions are given a score of 0 or 1, depending on whether the answer is incorrect or correct.
• Short-answer questions are given a score that ranges from 0–2 points; the score is determined based on the accuracy of information contained in the child’s responses.
• Extended-response questions are given a score that ranges from 0–4 points; the score is determined based on the accuracy of information contained in the child’s responses. For Writing (which is currently suspended), student responses can receive scores of 0, 3, 6, 9, or 12.

For more information on how constructed responses on the Achievement Assessments are scored, refer to the “Scorer Training” subsection on this Web site, located in the “Understand Test Results” section. (Note: To get to the “Scorer Training” subsection from the “Understand Test Results” page, choose a “subject area,” select a grade level and administration year, and then click the green “I’m Ready!” button. You will be directed to a page that offers “Learn How Written Responses Are Scored” as one of the options. Click the link to proceed.)

What is my Child Expected to Know at the End of Each Grade?

At the end of each grade, your child is expected to know and be able to do what is described in Ohio’s Academic Content Standards. By meeting grade-level expectations, your child will be on track for continued success beyond the current grade.

For more information on the expectations for your child, please refer to the “What’s Expected of Students” section of this Web site, where descriptions of the standards in each subject (Reading, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Writing) are provided.

How do I Contact Technical Support for this Web site?

For additional support with the Ohio Portal, please call the Ohio Help Desk at 1-888-944-5001, e-mail OHHelpDesk@air.org.