Last school year, a group of Athens County ninth-graders took a pilot version of the new statewide test required for high school graduation, and in all five of the districts, at least 20 percent of the students did not pass the test.
The Ohio Graduation Test, which is required for the class of 2007, is replacing both the ninth-and 12th-grade proficiency tests. The test will be administered to students in 10th grade. Though students can retake the test multiple times, in most cases if they do not pass all five test subjects, they cannot graduate.
The scores for Athens County's students were released with the state report cards in late August. Students took pilot versions of only the reading and math sections of the test.
According to the Ohio Department of Education Web site
(www.ode.state.oh.us), 79 percent of Federal Hocking High School students tested, passed the reading portion of the test, which is the highest passage rate on any section of the test among any of the county's school districts.
Conversely, Nelsonville-York City School District had the county's lowest passage rate on any section of the test, with only 52 percent of the tested students passing in math.
It's a more demanding test
Trimble Local School District Superintendent Jack Loudin said. It's understood that statewide fewer people are going to pass it.
The new test contains essay questions and short answers -a change from the previous ninth-grade test, which was all multiple-choice questions.
The test is a means of increasing the standards for students in Ohio
said J.C. Benton, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Education.
He said he expects students to perform as well on the new tests as they did on the previous tests after they adjust to the new format.
But the scores for the students tested in local districts might force schools in the area to provide more tutoring and intervention programs
said Pam Beam, the Nelsonville-York Curriculum Director.
I believe we are going to see a lot more intervention in every classroom
not just in pull-out classrooms or intervention classrooms
Beam said. We'll see a lot of intervention until everyone feels they have the information enough.
The results of the pilot tests show that, currently, more than 20 percent of Athens County high school students would have to retake at least one of the test sections. According to Ohio law, schools are required by law to provide intervention for those students who do not pass the test the first time.
Benton said the funding for these intervention programs will come from the $400 million federal Title I funds given to the state to help economically disadvantaged school districts. These funds are already in use at several of the county's districts.
According to the No Child Left Behind Act, schools can be denied Title I funding if their test scores are too low, even if they are economically disadvantaged.
Hypothetically
districts could lose some funding. Unfortunately
the districts that are most likely to be punished are the (districts) that don't have a lot to begin with
Loudin said.
