State Representative Jim Buchy
Ohio House Addressing Concerns with PARCC and Common Core

No matter how much legislators might disagree on the many important issues impacting our state, when it comes to education I know that every member of the Ohio House wants what is best for our young people and wants our schools to be as productive as possible.

One of the most important issues facing education today—as many Ohioans are well aware—is the Common Core State Standards. One piece of legislation pending in committee is House Bill 413, which addresses some concerns that have been raised about some of the testing associated with the Common Core.

HB 413 would prohibit schools from administering what is called the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), an online multi-state assessment, during the upcoming school year including assessments not connected with PARCC. Some have stated concerns about whether certain Ohio schools have the technology necessary to implement the online testing system. This has also raised the fear of certain students not being treated equally, depending on whether they have had access to the technology. While these concerns are understandable, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) has decided to let some districts use a paper version of the test.

Even though ODE has offered this alternative to online testing, the Department still admits PARCC testing will take more time than Ohio’s previous testing model. This means more testing and less time for students to learn school material. I believe we should spend less time preparing them for high-stakes testing and more time giving them instructor-led education.

The legislation does not propose anything radical, but rather slows down and allows us to take another look at just how realistic it is to expect Ohio’s school districts to administer these kinds of tests.

The 84th House District is blessed to have great schools with great teachers and principals. Eighty percent of the schools in the district received A’s when the latest state report card was released. This shows the kind of attention and emphasis that is placed on educating our young people so that they can be successful later in life.

There is always room for improvement, and we must constantly strive to find better solutions. But I believe flexibility at the local level is a tremendous ingredient toward ensuring our youth become as successful as they can be.

I always enjoy hearing the thoughts and ideas of the people of the district, and I encourage you to share your opinions with my office by completing a survey at tinyurl.com/buchymarch2014