OHIO GRADUATION TEST Local Reactions to Results Vary

By Beth L. Jokinen, The Lima News, Ohio

Jun. 16–LIMA — Lima schools officials know they have a way to go before the district’s Ohio Graduation Test results are where they should be.

“I think that we look at those scores and we still believe that we have a lot of work to do,” Assistant Superintendent Jill Ackerman said. “We don’t really see them as being acceptable for us.”

The Ohio Department of Education released preliminary results of the March test Friday. The results only include 10th-graders who took the test for the first time in March. Students are tested in reading, math, writing, science and social studies and must pass all five to graduate. Students have multiple chances to take the test.

Lima schools’ scores went down in every area but writing. Only Bluffton, Allen East and Delphos schools had more students pass all portions of the test than last year. Perry schools stayed about the same. The rest of the county’s public schools went down.

Ackerman is disappointed with the scores but said it is important to remember that tests are different each year and a different group of students is tested.

“Those are all factors, too, but we would still always hope to be making gains every single year,” she said.

Kalida and Miller City schools had 93 and 91 percent, the highest in the region, of students pass all five portions of the test.

“We always say it is three-tiered,” Kalida Superintendent Mark Neal said of the success. “It is the school, the teachers and the families. When all those parts fit together, you usually end up with pretty good results.”

Eighty-nine percent of Bluffton students passed all portions, the highest in Allen County. It was followed by Lima Central Catholic with 84 percent and Shawnee with 75 percent. Bluffton Superintendent Greg Denecker said students take the tests very seriously.

“And I think our teachers do a really good job preparing them and guiding them for the Ohio Graduation Test,” he said. “We take them very seriously. We stress to students that we want them to do their very best.”

Even though it is a private school, LCC students are still required to pass the test to graduate. Principal Richard Mitterholzer said the school’s success is because of a combination of factors.

“It really is a combination of everything, the education they are getting at the elementary school, the education they are getting here, along with our community support and parents,” he said.

Delphos St. John’s school declined to release its test scores at this time. Public school results on listed on the department of education’s Web site.

New Knoxville schools saw 89 percent pass all parts of the test. It was the highest in Auglaize County, followed by New Bremen with almost 87 percent passing. Crestview schools faired the best in Van Wert County, with 83 percent passing all parts.

New Knoxville schools improved the number of students passing all the tests from 76 percent last year. Superintendent Kim Waterman said it’s exciting to see the students do so well, saying aligning the curriculum to the state standards has been a key.

“Teachers have really tried to take a look at the standards, making sure we are covering the standards and meeting the needs of all of our students,” she said.

Students around the region did well on the writing portion of the test. Ten schools, including four in Putnam County, had every student pass. The lowest was in Sidney, where 77 percent passed.

One-hundred percent of students in four schools, Jennings, New Bremen, New Knoxville and Russia schools, passed the reading portion. Lima and Perry schools had the lowest number with 72 percent passing.

Kalida, Jennings and Coldwater saw all students pass the math test. No schools had 100 percent passage on the science and social studies portions.

Officials are not surprised that science and social studies scores are the lowest, citing that the federal No Child Left Behind mandates, especially meeting Adequate Yearly Progress.

“Districts are forced to spend a lot of time at the lower grade levels focusing on reading and math because that’s what is measured in AYP, and you have to make AYP,” Ackerman said. “So, when we spend a lot of time on reading and math intervention, I think what happens is you have to get that time from somewhere. We begin to take it from science and social studies. That is happening across the board.”

Lima schools will start a new high school science curriculum next school year.

Schools continue to find ways to work with students who have not passed all portions of the test. Some New Knoxville students are getting tutoring this summer, Waterman said.

“As the school year begins, the teachers take a look at where did we miss it,” she said, saying teachers will know which students had trouble and in what areas. “So they can take some of that extra time to help them prepare for the next time.”

Ackerman said staff will break the results down, eventually being able to tell what standard needs to be worked on for an individual student. Tutoring is offered for students still needing to pass portions of the test, with that intervention increasing for seniors. The district uses poverty-based assistance money to hire tutors to meet with students each day. Not all students took advantage of it.

Students who did not pass a portion of the test will have two times next year and two times their senior year to do so before graduation. Those who still do not pass can take it again in July.

Some schools in the region had students who were unable to graduate last month because of the test. Eighteen Lima Senior students did not graduate. Ackerman said the district currently offers an OGT recovery course at the high school to try to help those students prepare for the July test.

Bluffton did not have anyone in that situation this year, but Denecker said it can be tough on students.

“It is hard for a senior take the test their senior year and obviously they know they need to pass that test to graduate,” Denecker said. “That could be a stressful situation.”

Ackerman stressed that all pupils need to be spending time during the summer reading and doing things at home to enhance what the schools are trying to do during the school year.

“A lot is lost during the summer,” she said. “And we spend a lot of time trying to make up ground.”

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