Wednesday, April 1st, 2015
Board urges residents to be informed about testing
Community members invited to take practice tests next week
By Jared Mauch
ST. MARYS - A St. Marys school board committee wants residents to become more informed about student testing so they can present a unified voice to elected officials.
The board's PARCC Assessment Committee will let residents take a practice test next week to see what students are encountering.
Committee members Travis Kuenning, Ronda Shelby and April Braun met Tuesday afternoon to discuss ways to help community members express concerns about the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers test.
As part of the effort, the committee will let the public take practice tests at 6:30 p.m. April 9 in the Memorial High School performing arts center. Residents may take a practice PARCC test to see the kinds of questions students face on the tests, which take place over several weeks each school year.
"It could be anything from a practice third-grade reading Ohio Achievement Test to the PARCC test. We could have a combination of the tests," Braun said.
"People have expressed concern over the test," Shelby said.
Committee members want to inform residents about the testing students undergo so the public can contact government officials before the U.S. Senate reconvenes April 14.
"What it is going to take is not just teachers but people in the community. It's got to be everyone on the same side of the issue and saying the same thing," Braun said
Committee members encouraged people to bring their own iPads or laptops to take the test.
"Everybody understands that there should be some sort of testing in order to make sure there are benchmarks," Kuenning said. He questioned the tests' validity as students wear down over multiple days of testing.
The committee also discussed showing the documentary "Rise Above the Mark" April 10. Additional information about the movie will be at the practice testing event. The district would need to pay $300 for a license to show the movie.
The film gives an overview of how recent changes to public education came about and how to reverse the trend, Braun said about the film.
She said that the film has been shown to large crowds in northern Ohio. She suggested opening the showing to residents of other communities and inviting Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, to the event.
"(Jordan) is open to talking to people so that's a positive. If he comes and participates and hears from everybody, at least that's something," Braun said.
Shelby also suggested inviting State Sen. Cliff Hite, R-Findlay, to the showing.
"All our representatives are good people and they are concerned about our children," Shelby said.
Committee members agreed to create a flier to send home with students next Wednesday to tell parents about the practice test.
