0. Ohio’s State Assessments: What do families need to know?
[WELCOME SLIDE – TRANSITION AT BEGINNING OF EVENT]
October 2015

1. Overview of Workshop Ohio’s Learning Standards and Assessments
How to Understand Test Results
Update on Ohio’s State Tests
Additional Resources for Parents
SLIDE 1 – OVERVIEW OF WORKSHOP
[SAY]
Welcome! I’m [NAME] and [POSITION].
We know many of you wanted to learn more about Ohio’s Assessment Tests – especially given the changes this year. That’s why Ohio PTA has asked PTA units to host this information night for school families – to learn the basics about the tests, understand the scores and what they mean for your child, teachers, and school districts -- as well as ways you can help support your children.
Today we will cover basic information about standards, assessment tests, how to understand the results, and updates on changes to Ohio’s assessment testing, and where to go for additional information.
We’ll have a minute presentation and then we’ll have a question and answer session.
[TIP – always have a building administrator or someone from the school district available to answer questions about specific questions about standards or testing in your building or district.]
IF SECOND PRESENTER OR ADMINISTRATOR AVAILABLE, SAY
At this time, I’d like to welcome [NAME] AND [POSITION] who will …. [help with the presentation and/or help answer your questions tonight.]
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[INSERT BIO SLIDE WITH NAME/PHOTO OF SPEAKER IF SPEAKER IS SOMEONE THE AUDIENCE MAY NOT KNOW, SUCH AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT LEADER]

2. About Ohio’s Learning Standards & Assessments
SLIDE 2 – About Ohio’s Learning Standards & Assessments
[YOU CAN SAY]
Thank you for taking the time to be here tonight.
It is important that families know more about the education process in our schools as families are the most important education partner.
Decades of research show when parents are involved students have:
Higher grades, test scores, and graduation rates
Better school attendance
Increased motivation, better self-esteem
Lower rates of suspension
Decreased use of drugs and alcohol
Fewer instances of violent behavior
The School benefits to having parent involved with their students:
improves teacher morale
higher ratings of teachers by parents
more supportive families
higher student achievement
a better reputation in the community
Parent involvement leads to feelings of ownership, resulting in increased support of schools.
And finally, parents express a genuine and deep-seated desire to help their children succeed academically, regardless of differences in socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, and cultural background.
Thank you for taking your time to learn more and to support your child’s academic success.
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3. Ohio’s Learning Standards
In 2010, Ohio adopted higher, more focused standards to better prepare students for college, technical schools, and careers.
Our education system was falling short in developing the critical-thinking and problem-solving skills needed to compete with students from anywhere in the world.
This is the 6th year that Ohio school districts and teachers will be using their own locally developed curriculum based on the Ohio Learning Standards.
New standards required new state tests that better measure these skills and allow students to show what they know and what they can do.
SLIDE 3 – Ohio’s Learning Standards
[SAY]
Ohio’s standards:
Establish clear, consistent guidelines for what every student should know and be able to do in math, English language arts, science, and social studies from kindergarten through 12th grade to prepare for college and career – to better prepare them for the future.
Focus on developing the critical-thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills students will need to be successful in college and career.
Require students to discuss and explain ideas, ask questions, speak in complete sentences, analyze and interpret data, reason and apply ideas using evidence.
New standards meant Ohio needed a new test that was aligned to these standards so we could see how our students were progressing.
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4. How Do I Know What My Child is Expected to Learn?
PTA developed grade-specific “Guides to Student Success” so you could understand the skills your child should master and what he or she is expected to know every year:
SLIDE 4 – How Do I Know What My Child is Expected to Learn?
[SAY]
The PTA Parent’s Guides are great resource and provide basic details about what your child should be working on in every grade in Mathematics and English Language Arts. The guides are available in 2-page or 4-page and are also available in Spanish. They also provide activities and information that are conversation starters for parents with their child’s teacher. As a parent you should be asking what your child is learning and why. The PTA Parent’s Guides for Student Success are available on PTA’s website at pta.org.
If you are interested in reading Ohio’s Leaning Standards for any grade level K-12, you can find them posted on the Ohio Department of Education’s website.
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5. State Tests Aligned to Ohio’s Learning Standards
State Tests help to:
Measure students’ progress toward mastering state learning standards
Enable educators to identify gaps in student progress and tailor instruction for each child’s specific needs as they move forward into the next grade
Facilitate communication between teachers and parents about student progress and specific needs for additional support
Compare student performance across schools and districts statewide to help identify additional support or resources needed
Ensure all children have equal access to high quality education
SLIDE 5 – State Tests Aligned to Ohio’s Learning Standards
[SAY]
Many people ask – “Why do we need tests? And why are we changing the ones we had?”
Ohio’s State Tests are designed to measure student progress toward Ohio’s Learning Standards. The results will show whether students have the knowledge and skills necessary to move successfully to their next steps in education or a career.
With the introduction of new standards, Ohio needs to make sure the tests are aligned, or match, to those standards. The tests need to focus on what is being taught in the classroom.
Ohio’s State Tests will help teachers measure students’ progress toward mastering the grade-level standards. The tests will help teachers and school administrators identify if a child needs extra help or support. Teachers will use these assessments, as well as the assignments and class work to facilitate communication with you about how your student is doing and what you can do to support his or her progress.
In some cases, individualized plans may be developed that provide more support for your student.
Educators will look at how the students at your school are doing and they will compare their performance with other schools and districts.
Why is that so important?
Because it helps school administrators to seek additional resources for the school that will support an increase in student achievement. And it helps you make decisions about your child’s education.
We all want the same thing: we want every child – your child, my child, a child in another part of town – to have a high quality education. Every child deserves this. Education is a very important way to end poverty and create safer, more economically viable communities.
Assessments are one tool that will help school leaders gauge what is needed for each child, each school and each district to fulfill the commitment of a high-quality education to all students.
The results from state tests are how Ohio holds districts, schools and teachers accountable.
The results from state tests provide the public with much-needed information about how all students are performing. Student test scores are the foundation of Ohio’s A-F school and district report cards, which are designed to show parents, taxpayers and school leaders how well students are performing.
The report cards allow for apples to apples comparisons between schools as well as identify schools and districts that require additional support or interventions
Ohio also uses state tests as checkpoints for students to ensure they are ready for their next steps. Similarly, the Third Grade Reading Guarantee makes sure students can read at grade level before moving on to the fourth grade.
Ohio’s new graduation options give flexibility to students on which state tests they use, but the tests ensure that students leave high school ready for college and a career.
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6. The Academic Checkup SLIDE 6 – Anatomy of a Good Test [SAY]
Just like students visit the doctor for a yearly check-up, Ohio’s New State Assessments will act as an academic checkup. Score results will identify exactly what areas students have mastered, and what ones they need extra support with.
This helps inform teacher instruction and allows parents to understand whether their student is making the progress they need to graduate prepared for the future.
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7. Types of Assessments/Tests
Formative Assessments: Short activities teachers engage in throughout the year to assess knowledge and skills in specific areas and adjust instruction:
Observation of student work
Quick daily checks such as exit tickets
Assignments and quizzes
Progress Monitoring: Tests given at various points during the school year to measure students for adequate progress
Summative Assessments: These include most standardized tests, end of unit tests, and end of course tests. These show parents and teachers where students are in mastering grade level content and skills.
SLIDE 7 – Types of Assessments/Tests
[SAY]
There are a variety of assessments that are used in education.
Formative assessments happen every day. They include classroom observation of student work, assignments and quizzes. They help to gauge a student’s knowledge and skills so that teachers can adjust instruction daily, as needed, for each child.
Interim assessments or Progress Monitoring tests are tests given at various points during the school year (usually the beginning and middle) to see if students are on track with achieving the standards.
Summative assessments include most standardized tests and what we will be talking about. Ohio has new State Tests for English Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies. These tests should show parents and teachers where students are in mastering grade level content and skills.
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8. What the Ohio State Tests Measure. . .
English Language Arts
Whether students can read and understand texts of varying complexities.
How well students use information from several sources to make a persuasive argument.
Whether they can write, using what they’ve read and using print and other multi-media sources to support their arguments.
Math
Whether students can understand and use important math ideas (i.e., number sense, algebraic thinking, geometry, and data analysis).
How students use math facts and reasoning skills to solve real-world problems.
How well students can justify their answers using math concepts.
SLIDE 8 – What the Ohio State Tests Measure
[SAY]
Ohio State Tests are designed to measure progress on the skills outlined in the standards. For example, in English Language Arts – can students read and comprehend tests of varying complexities? How well are they using information they read to make an argument? Are they using context clues to determine the meaning of a vocabulary word?
In Math, the assessments have questions that test if students not only get the right answer, but also explain how they got that answer. That’s called number sense. Why is that important? Number sense transforms into algebraic thinking, understanding geometry, and analyzing data. That’s really how you use math in the real-world.
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9. What is Different About these Tests?
The new tests go beyond the “bubble test.”
Students show their work through:
Extended writing and multi-step questions which require students to apply the skills they have learned.
They measure:
Problem-solving
Writing
Critical thinking
Reading Comprehension
SLIDE 9 – What Is Different About these Tests?
[SAY]
Students will no longer just select the right answer. They will need to think critically and explain how they got their answer, with less random guesswork.
They will read and analyze complex texts and write essays. Both the Math and English tests will have many different types of questions – such as multiple choice, essay, and short answer.
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10. How To Interpret Test Results
SLIDE 10 – How to Interpret Tests Results
[SAY]
After your child took the assessment test, you are wondering – what does this all mean? How does this help my child?
Remember, the old tests measured whether students were basic, proficient or advanced in a subject.
We are now measuring whether students are on track to graduating ready for college and careers. This is a much higher bar!
So, you cannot compare the old test scores with the new test scores. They are truly like comparing apples to oranges. When you hear someone say, “Our scores dropped…” Stop them and say, “Actually it’s really like comparing apples to oranges is a new measuring stick for tracking test results.”
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11. New Tests = New Baselines
These tests are considered more thorough and rigorous than previous Ohio Achievement Assessments (OAAs and OGTs).
With a greater emphasis on deeper learning, we have raised the bar for our students, parents, and teachers.
This new bar cannot be compared to the old one.
The scores are not higher or lower, just different because we are measuring different things.
SLIDE 11 – New Tests = New Baselines
[SAY]
Simply put, these tests are harder. Students will be answering more complex questions and solving more complex problems, which was not required on the previous state tests, but gives us the useful information about student progress that was not possible before. Because they are harder, scores may look lower than before.
This does not mean that students learned nothing or scored lower. We have raised the bar for our students by requiring them to understand concepts more deeply. We cannot compare the old tests, which measured student progress, to the new tests, which holds them to a much higher bar. The scores aren’t higher or lower, they are simply different because we are measuring different things.
Change is hard, and just as our students will be adjusting to the new test, educators and leaders will need time to transition to the test to fulfill its promise.
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12. What Will Results Look Like From The 2014-2015 Ohio PARCC Tests for ELA and Math ?
SLIDE 12 – What will Results Look like from the Ohio PARCC Tests for ELA and Math?
[SAY]
Ohio students took the PARCC Consortium tests for English Language Arts and Math in Spring 2015.
These tests were aligned to our Ohio Learning Standards. The PARCC score reports are designed to provide better information on how your child is progressing and where he or she might need more help.
Score reports for both English Language Arts and Math will give an overall measure of how your child performed individually overall in ELA and Math, but also provides more detailed information about their progress in a number of sub-categories as well.
This is the actionable information that can be used to help ensure there aren’t any learning gaps. And if they are falling behind, it ensures that students can get help immediately. The tests don’t just measure rote memorization. They measure grade level knowledge and skills and problem solving, critical thinking and communication skills as well. You can use this information to start conversations with your student’s teachers.
The score is not just a number. It is a frame of reference to help you to see how your student’s progress compares to that of other students in the same grade at their school, in their district and across the state.
Score reports from the school year will be available this Fall, possibly November.
[The school administrator may have more information to share.]
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13. How Will Scores be Used? Test results will help schools to:
Make instructional decisions for the next school year.
Determine individual needs of students:
Extra support?
More challenging work?
Recommendations for future classes?
By Ohio law, scores do not impact GPA, class ranking, or grade promotion.
SLIDE 13 – How Will Scores be Used?
[SAY]
The test results will allow parents, teachers, and students to know whether students are on track each year as they prepare for new academic material. The goal is to ensure that we know when students need more challenging work or more support. This will help your child to get a more personalized education that will best fit their needs. You will also be able to compare your student’s performance with students in other schools, districts, and states.
The test scores do not impact GPA, class ranking or grade promotion – THIS IS STATE LAW.
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14. Ohio’s Assessment Test Updates for 2015-2016
SLIDE 14 – Ohio’s Assessment Test Updated for
[SAY]
The following few slides cover information about assessment test changes from the Ohio Department of Education
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15. State Test Updates for 2015-2016
As part of the state’s budget, the General Assembly directed the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) to transition to new tests in mathematics and English language arts for the school year.
Ohio will no longer use PARCC (The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness of College and Careers) tests in mathematics and English language arts. 
SLIDE 15 – State Test Updates for
[SAY]
As part of the budget, the General Assembly directed the Ohio Department of Education to transition to new assessments for the school year in mathematics and English language arts.
As required by new law, Ohio will cease the use of PARCC tests in mathematics and English language arts. Instead, the Ohio Department of Education will use our existing contract with the American Institutes for Research (AIR) – which currently provides online science and social studies assessments – to provide Ohio’s math and English language arts tests. The new tests will use the same testing platform and other services that AIR already provides to Ohio.
These will be Ohio’s new assessment tests and will align to Ohio’s standards.
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16. State Test Updates for 2015-2016
The state’s budget also requires that tests will be:
Shorter than tests given last school year
Administered once per year in a single testing window
Given during the second half of the school year
And further:
High schools may give end-of-course tests in the first semester if they are on a block schedule
Third grade reading results will return no later than June 15
Results will be provided no later than June 30 of each school year
SLIDE 16 – State Test Updates Continued (2)
The budget bill also required:
Shorter than tests given last school year
Tests administered once per year in a single testing window
Tests given during the second half of the school year
And …
High schools may give end-of-course tests in the first semester if they are on a block schedule
Third grade reading results will return no later than June 15
Assessment results will be provided no later than June 30 of each school year
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17. State Test Updates for 2015-2016
How will Math and English Language Arts differ this year?
American Institutes for Research (AIR) is working with ODE and Ohio teachers to build the English Language Arts and Math State Tests for Ohio for the school year.
The Ohio State tests will be based on our Ohio Learning Standards.
All Ohio State Tests will be on the AIR platform for
Ohio teachers and students are familiar with the AIR technology platform because it was used for the Ohio Science and Social Studies tests in
SLIDE 17 – State Test Updates Continued (3) (How will Math and ELA differ?)
[SAY]
Additional information in addition to the information included on the slide:
Ohio has worked with AIR for more than a decade. 
Ohio’s educators and content specialists are playing a vital role in the creation of valid and reliable assessments and fill this role by serving on Content Advisory Committees.
Every test has a Content Advisory Committee.  The purpose of these committees is to review and evaluate test questions and related test materials to ensure that each question is a valid and appropriate measure of the academic content standards for that particular subject area and grade level.
The work of the educator volunteers participating on the Content Advisory Committees helping to develop Ohio’s state tests will be guided by previous efforts of educators who have devoted countless hours to the development of a new generation of tests. 
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18. State Test Updates for 2015-2016
SLIDE 18 – State Test Updates Continued (4) (How will tests be developed?)
[SAY]
This Road Map provides an overview of the test development process.
STOP 1 – ODE will identify which learning standard will be tested in each for each grade and subject. (August 2015)
STOP 2 – Blueprints list the standards to be tested and the percentage of test questions associated with the standards (September – October 2015) – (this information can be viewed on the ODE website)
STOP 3 – ODE will review the questions to ensure that each aligns to the standards that Ohio has chosen to test.
STOP 4 – Committees of Ohio teachers and other stakeholders will review sets of questions and select those that can appear on a test – (August 17 through September 2015)
STOP 5 – ODE and AIR will build online and paper tests by selecting from the list of questions approved by the review committees.
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19. State Test Updates for 2015-2016
Test Dates
The testing dates for English Language Arts, mathematics, science and social studies are posted on the ODE website.
Each test will be approximately 3 hours long.
Districts can choose to use the paper/pencil or online version or a combination of both.
SLIDE 19 – State Tests Updates Continued (5) (Test Dates)
[SAY]
Students in grades 3-8 and high school will take Ohio’s State Tests in English language arts, mathematics, science and social studies in the school year.
Districts have the option to give students the tests on computers, in paper format or using a combination of both formats.
Each test will be approximately three hours (180 minutes) and will be divided into two parts. Districts will choose whether their students will take a test in two 90-minute sessions or in one 180-minute session.
School districts will select either 10 consecutive days (for paper tests) or 15 consecutive days (for online tests) during the windows of dates allocated for the tests:
English language arts tests can be given as follows: April 4 to 22, paper tests; April 4 to 29, online tests.
Mathematics, science and social studies tests can be given as follows: April 4 to May 6, paper tests; April 4 to May 13, online tests.
Remember – School districts will have the flexibility to choose one or two sets of test dates.
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20. State Test Updates for 2015-2016
SLIDE 20 – State Test Updates Continued (6) (Calendar)
[SAY]
This diagram is from the ODE Ohio’s State Tests Fact Sheet
and shows the testing windows for all assessment tests to be given.
[School Administrator will probably be able to give some information about when your school tests will be given for the year.]
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21. State Test Updates for 2015-2016
Safe Harbor on Test Results
As part of the transition to the new state tests, the legislature extended a number of safe harbor provisions.
Gives schools, teachers and students time to adjust to the new tests.
No consequences for students tied to the results of the state tests given in the , and school years.
Ohio School Report Cards will not have an overall letter grade until the report card released in 2018.
Teacher Evaluations will begin using state test data again in Spring of 2018 using data from test.
SLIDE 21 – State Test Updates Continued (7) (Safe Harbor on Test Results)
SOURCE: The Safe Harbor Guidance Document explains further details. See ODE Website.
[SAY]
As part of the transition to the new state tests, the legislature extended a number of safe harbor provisions.
Schools, teachers and students have more time to adjust to the new tests.
There will be no consequences for students tied to the results of the state tests given in the , and school years.
Ohio School Report Cards will not have an overall letter grade until the report card released in 2018.
Teacher Evaluations will begin using state test data again in Spring of 2018 using data from test.
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22. State Test Updates for 2015-2016
Third Grade Reading
The Ohio Achievement Assessments (OAA) will no longer be administered.
Ohio’s State Test in grade 3 English Language Arts replaces the third grade reading OAA and will meet the requirements of the Third Grade Reading Guarantee.
As part of the Third Grade Reading Guarantee, Ohio’s Third Grade English Language Arts State Test will be administered during a 5 day window each district can select between Nov. 30 to Dec It will also be administered in the Spring.
SLIDE 22 – State Test Updates Continued (8) (Third Grade Reading)
[SAY]
This information is from ODE
The Ohio Achievement Assessments (OAA) will no longer be administered.
Ohio’s State Test in grade 3 English Language Arts replaces the third grade reading OAA and will meet the requirements of the Third Grade Reading Guarantee.
As part of the Third Grade Reading Guarantee, Ohio’s Third Grade English Language Arts State Test will be administered during a 5 day window each district can select between Nov. 30 to Dec It will also be administered in the Spring.
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23. Great Resources to Help Parents Understand Assessment Tests and Support their Child’s Learning
SLIDE 23 – Great Resources to Help Parents Understand Assessment Tests and Support their Child’s Learning
[SAY]
PTA’s role is to inform, prepare and empower parents of children whose active role in their child's learning can help their child succeed in school.
Tonight, we are only scratching the surface and I’m sure many of you have more questions.
I’d also like to point you to some great websites that have more information.
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24. Where Can I Find More Info?
Great Web Sites
PARCC : Reading, Writing, Math:
Ohio’s State Tests Portal:
Parent Friendly Information: BeALearningHero.org and Facebook.com/bealearninghero
Ohio Department of Education:
National PTA:
Ohio PTA:
The Ohio Standard:
SLIDE 24 – Where Can I Find More Info?
[SAY]
For additional information about the PARCC test visit the PARCC website.
Check out Ohio’s State tests through the ODE portal. This portal is your source for information about Ohio’s State Tests in English
Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social
Visit and find parent-friendly information on BeALearningHero.org
Finally, visit PTA’s Common Core web pages where you will find guides, videos, webinars, etc.
Additional sites include the Ohio PTA website and The Ohio Standard website
Now I’d like to open it up for questions.
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25. Ohio’s State Assessments: What do families need to know? Questions?
[SEE ANTICIPATED QUESTIONS IN DIGITAL TOOLKIT TO SUPPORT YOUR RESPONSES]