OGT News: Columbus schools nix graduation for students failing OGT
About 340 seniors in Columbus City Schools won't participate in graduation ceremonies this week, after failing to pass all five portions of the Ohio Graduation Test.
On Tuesday, the district's board of education nixed participation in graduation for anyone who failed the OGT, whether or not they had sufficient credits to get a diploma and had met all other requirements.
This year marks the first time that Ohio seniors must pass all five sections of the OGT - reading, writing, math, science and social studies - in order to get a diploma.
A group of about 30 parents and supporters appeared before the Columbus board on Tuesday to make their cases for the students' participation in commencement. But the board said "no," rejecting an earlier effort to alter the requirements for graduation.
They noted that about 2,300 seniors did meet all the criteria and will get diplomas and that it would be unfair to them to lower the standard for students who failed to make the grade and would erode the significance of commencement.
A story in the Dispatch noted that about 7 percent of the 130,000 seniors statewide didn't pass the test, despite multiple chances to do so over the last three years. These students begin taking the OGT in 10th grade in hopes of passing the sections before graduation time.
Columbus school board members are hanging tough, as are educators in Toledo and some other districts. In short, they are saying "no OGT, no diploma." Cincinnati was an exception, allowing students to "walk through" graduation ceremonies even if they hadn't passed the OGT.
Non-graduating seniors in Columbus will get more chances to get diplomas. There will be another round of testing this summer. If they make the grade then, they'll still get to graduate in 2007.
On Tuesday, the district's board of education nixed participation in graduation for anyone who failed the OGT, whether or not they had sufficient credits to get a diploma and had met all other requirements.
This year marks the first time that Ohio seniors must pass all five sections of the OGT - reading, writing, math, science and social studies - in order to get a diploma.
A group of about 30 parents and supporters appeared before the Columbus board on Tuesday to make their cases for the students' participation in commencement. But the board said "no," rejecting an earlier effort to alter the requirements for graduation.
They noted that about 2,300 seniors did meet all the criteria and will get diplomas and that it would be unfair to them to lower the standard for students who failed to make the grade and would erode the significance of commencement.
A story in the Dispatch noted that about 7 percent of the 130,000 seniors statewide didn't pass the test, despite multiple chances to do so over the last three years. These students begin taking the OGT in 10th grade in hopes of passing the sections before graduation time.
Columbus school board members are hanging tough, as are educators in Toledo and some other districts. In short, they are saying "no OGT, no diploma." Cincinnati was an exception, allowing students to "walk through" graduation ceremonies even if they hadn't passed the OGT.
Non-graduating seniors in Columbus will get more chances to get diplomas. There will be another round of testing this summer. If they make the grade then, they'll still get to graduate in 2007.
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