H.B. 190

127th General Assembly

(As Reported by H. Education)

Reps. Hite, Bubp, Wagner, J. McGregor, Combs, Adams, Goodwin, Wagoner, Stebelton, Webster, Letson, Hottinger, Peterson, Latta, Huffman, Otterman, Okey, Setzer, Dyer, Patton, Lundy, Luckie, Garrison, Evans, Celeste, Heard, Collier, Schlichter, Brady

BILL SUMMARY

· Revises the scheduling of the spring administration of the elementary achievement tests from not earlier than the week containing May 1, as under current law, to not earlier than the week containing April 24.

· Provides for elementary state achievement tests to be administered over a two-week period, instead of five consecutive days.

· Revises the deadline for a school district or community school to submit state achievement tests to the scoring company.

CONTENT AND OPERATION

Background on state achievement tests

Each city, exempted village, and local school district and each community school is required to administer the state achievement tests to its students annually.[1] The state achievement tests are as follows: reading test for each of grades 3 through 8 and grade 10; writing test for grades 4, 7, and 10; mathematics test for each of grades 3 through 8 and grade 10; science test for grades 5, 8, and 10; and social studies test for grades 5, 8, and 10. The tenth-grade tests are known collectively as the Ohio Graduation Tests (or "OGT"). A student enrolled in a school district, community school, or chartered nonpublic school must pass all five areas of the OGT in order to qualify for a high school diploma. Also, based largely on student test scores on all achievement tests, the Department of Education annually rates the performance of each public school district and building, including most community schools.

Spring administration dates for the elementary tests

(R.C. 3301.0710(C)(1) and (2))

The State Board of Education selects the dates for administration of the achievement tests, within statutory parameters. Current law requires the spring administration of the elementary-level achievement tests (not the OGT) to begin not earlier than Monday of the week containing May 1. The third-grade reading test also must be given on a date prior to December 31.

The bill moves the earliest date for the spring elementary tests to Monday of the week containing April 24, rather than May 1. It does not affect the December administration of the third-grade reading test.[2]

Duration of the testing period

(R.C. 3301.0710(H)(3))

Current law specifies that, when the State Board designates the dates for the administration of all elementary-level achievement tests, the Board must require that the tests for each grade level be given on consecutive days. This provision applies to the spring and December administrations of the elementary tests, but apparently it does not apply to the OGT.

The bill removes this requirement and, instead, specifies that the Board must require the elementary tests to be given "over a period of two weeks."

Shipping date of elementary achievement tests

(R.C. 3301.0711(G))

Under current law, each school district board must submit the state elementary achievement tests to the scoring company not later than the Friday after the tests are administered.

The bill changes the submission dates depending on the size of enrollment in the school district. Districts with a total enrollment of less than 2,500 must continue to submit their tests by the Friday after all of the tests have been administered. Districts with enrollments of 2,500 or more, but less than 7,000, must submit their tests by the Monday after all of the tests have been administered. Districts with enrollment sizes of 7,000 or more must submit their tests by the Tuesday after all of the tests have been administered.

Since community schools are required to comply with the achievement testing law as if they were school districts,[3] it appears that the bill's new graduated submission dates also apply to community schools. However, most community schools have enrollments that are smaller than 2,500 students.

HISTORY

ACTION	DATE

Introduced	04-26-07
Reported, H. Education	06-20-07

h0190-rh-127.doc/kl

[1] Students who attend a chartered nonpublic school with a scholarship awarded under the Educational Choice Scholarship Pilot Program also must take the achievement tests (R.C. 3310.14, not in the bill).

[2] The bill also does not affect the administration dates of the OGT, which must be not earlier than Monday of the week containing March 15 for 10th graders taking the test for the first time, and Monday of the week containing December 31 and one other date for 11th and 12th graders re-taking a test.