Ohio: Frequently Asked Questions for Families (continued)

What happens if my childs school does not perform well on the test?

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

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 special education students and English language learners, acquire the knowledge and skills expected at each grade level. Therefore, all students take statewide achievement tests. A small number of students with disabilities take an adapted version of the general education test, called the Ohio Alternate Assessment, which is designed specifically for students with cognitive disabilities. Students who are not yet proficient in English are given extra support to help them understand the tests, such as a dictionary, an interpreter or extra time to complete the tests.

Where can I see samples of the questions my child answers on the test?

The Student Success Web site at http://portal.success-ode-state-oh-us.info/ contains questions on the spring achievement tests. The Web site gives a detailed explanation of each question, the scoring guidelines for the questions, and explanations of each possible answer choice. The website also gives parents easy-to-understand explanations of the concepts that children need to understand to be proficient.

Who writes the tests?

The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) works with an independent test contractor to develop the achievement tests. Test questions are based on Ohios academic content standards which were developed and adopted with input from teachers, families and school personnel across the state.

Every question is field-tested in Ohio schools before it can be included in the official tests. Committees of Ohio educators review all test questions and materials before and after the field test. An additional panel of experts reflecting Ohios cultural diversity scrutinizes each question for content that might be offensive or put any group at a disadvantage when answering the question. These panels recommend which questions from the field test should be included on statewide tests and which should be discarded. Only reviewed, field-tested and approved items are used on any of the statewide tests or the practice tests.

What resources are available to help my child improve his or her performance on the tests? Are practice tests available?

Practice tests are available online at:
  http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEPrimary.aspx?Page=2&TopicID=9&TopicRelationID=240