Dayton Daily News...
Ohio to require online state tests for school districts  
November 23, 2011 

Three years from now, all school districts in Ohio will start using new online state tests that will replace the standardized No. 2 pencil-and-paper assessments. 

While some local school officials see advantages with online testing, the planned switch also is causing concern because it’s unclear who is going to pay for the computers and software upgrades that may be needed. 

“We have lots of concerns but not answers,” Kettering Superintendent Jim Schoenlein said, noting that the state could choose to pick up those costs or pass them on to districts. 

“I surely hope that if they are going to mandate statewide testing that they pick up the financial responsibility for that, but that’s surely no guarantee,” he said. 

Kettering and other area school districts already are taking steps to get ready for the transition to the new state tests. 

The computerized tests will reflect the Common Core curriculum being rolled out in 45 states and the District of Columbia. 

Trotwood-Madison Superintendent Rexann Wagner met with her district curriculum and technology directors about the subject a week ago.

“I’ve got four big bullet points in my notes: teacher training, student skill training, hardware/infrastructure and budget,” said Wagner, whose district is facing more cuts after its recent sixth straight levy defeat. 

Some district officials worry that the state will pass costs on to local districts — and their taxpayers. State officials say that the new reading, language arts and math tests they’re developing will reflect new national Common Core academic standards. The tests and the standards are expected to be ready for rollout in the 2014-15 school year. 

It represents a major change in test-taking in Ohio. Instead of filling out multiple-choice bubbles or writing extended responses on answer sheets, students will instead sit in front of computers several times a year, answering questions online and even getting some questions in video form. 

What’s not clear is how much the transition to these new tests will cost the state and school districts, which must acquire enough computers and technology to enable large numbers of students to take multiple tests. 

Schoenlein said it’s a priority for his district’s technology department to review how many computers they have, “and how many we’re going to need.” 

Trotwood-Madison officials also are trying to determine how many computers they’ll need and if their wireless capability is sufficient so there isn’t a system crash during testing time. 

“All of those things are part of our discussions,” Wagner said. 

Ohio has federal Race to the Top money to develop higher standards and more rigorous testing. But it’s unclear how much of that will be used to help school districts adopt technologically to the new tests, Ohio Department of Education spokesman Dennis Evans said. 

“How things are implemented and what resources there are, that’s a conversation that is ongoing,” Evans said. “We’re still working on identifying all the resources and challenges and opportunities that lay ahead.” 

Huber Heights City Schools students in grades 1-8 and most Dayton Public Schools students already are familiar with taking tests online. 

Dayton Public officials introduced the online assessments to grades 3-8 about two years ago, then extended it to high school students. Now they’re introducing simple online tests to grades K-2. 

“That’s an initiative we started ourselves, realizing that this was coming down the pike,” said Shelia Burton, the district’s executive director of assessment, accountability and student information systems. 

Huber Heights Superintendent William Kirby believes his district also will be ready when the state testing takes effect in 2014. 

“We are far enough along in technology I don’t have a concern about equipment,” said Kirby, who is glad the state is moving away from outdated pencil-and-paper tests. 

“I think online testing is the right way to go,” he said, adding that teachers like getting test results back faster. “They are able to use those results much more quickly in adjusting their instruction.” 

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