Newspaper reports from all over Ohio are full of stories about high school seniors who failed to pass the Ohio Graduation Test this year and were either excluded or included in graduation ceremonies.
It seems that policies vary from district to district on whether or not seniors can "walk through" graduation even if they haven't earned a diploma. Some districts in Trumbull County allowed their seniors to participate in graduation, even if they haven't passed the OGT. Others said "no OGT, no ceremony."
This was the first year that Ohio seniors were required to pass all five sections of the OGT - reading, writing, math, science and social studies - in order to receive a diploma. The OGT is administered from the 10th grade on, so students had about a half dozen chances to pass.
At Warren G. Harding High School in Warren, 25 seniors who didn't pass the OGT were banned from graduation - whether or not they met all other requirements. The same was true at Newton Falls.
Niles City Schools allowed six seniors who failed the test, but met all other requirements, to participate in graduation. The district superintendent directed scathing remarks at the state department of education and the legislature, saying that "they've changed requirements so many times...I've lost confidence in the leadership of ODE and the legislature for letting it get to this point."
Bristol Schools allowed the one senior who didn't pass the OGT to walk across the stage and receive a blank diploma.
Youngstown City Schools suffered the most from the OGT. Sixty-four of 427 seniors did not pass the test and could not graduate - 15 percent of the class. Last year, only 6 percent didn't pass because they had failed the ninth grade proficiency test -the forerunner of the OGT.
The district's director of testing said the proficiency test was much easier than the OGT and students had many more opportunities to pass it during their school careers.
Seniors who couldn't graduate because of the OGT will get another chance to take the test in July. Youngstown and Warren offer fall commencement ceremonies for seniors who pass during the summer.
The OGT Practice Test offered by IQ-ity to help prepare students for the Ohio Graduation Test is available to all Ohio school districts free of charge until September. This free offer covers that important summer school session.
It seems that policies vary from district to district on whether or not seniors can "walk through" graduation even if they haven't earned a diploma. Some districts in Trumbull County allowed their seniors to participate in graduation, even if they haven't passed the OGT. Others said "no OGT, no ceremony."
This was the first year that Ohio seniors were required to pass all five sections of the OGT - reading, writing, math, science and social studies - in order to receive a diploma. The OGT is administered from the 10th grade on, so students had about a half dozen chances to pass.
At Warren G. Harding High School in Warren, 25 seniors who didn't pass the OGT were banned from graduation - whether or not they met all other requirements. The same was true at Newton Falls.
Niles City Schools allowed six seniors who failed the test, but met all other requirements, to participate in graduation. The district superintendent directed scathing remarks at the state department of education and the legislature, saying that "they've changed requirements so many times...I've lost confidence in the leadership of ODE and the legislature for letting it get to this point."
Bristol Schools allowed the one senior who didn't pass the OGT to walk across the stage and receive a blank diploma.
Youngstown City Schools suffered the most from the OGT. Sixty-four of 427 seniors did not pass the test and could not graduate - 15 percent of the class. Last year, only 6 percent didn't pass because they had failed the ninth grade proficiency test -the forerunner of the OGT.
The district's director of testing said the proficiency test was much easier than the OGT and students had many more opportunities to pass it during their school careers.
Seniors who couldn't graduate because of the OGT will get another chance to take the test in July. Youngstown and Warren offer fall commencement ceremonies for seniors who pass during the summer.
The OGT Practice Test offered by IQ-ity to help prepare students for the Ohio Graduation Test is available to all Ohio school districts free of charge until September. This free offer covers that important summer school session.
posted by Debra Maple
at
Sunday, June 03, 2007
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