Validity of State Report Card Questioned

The Ohio Public School Advocacy Network has taken another step in restoring local control of the public schools in our state.  In an open letter to their communities, the 15 superintendents in Lorain County have publicly questioned the validity of the upcoming school district report cards and are requesting that they not be issued.  In the news release to their local news outlets, here is what they said:

The Lorain County Cabinet of Superintendents has discussed the release of the 20-14 Ohio Report Card on numerous occasions.  As a group, we are requesting the 2015-16 SY Report Card not be issued primarily because of:

1. PARCC assessment results and
2. Student opt-out scores.

Reasoning:

1. The PARCC assessment lacks validity, is age and culturally inappropriate, and ignored socio-economic effects.  The test data return date as a classroom assessment tool was of negligible use for the current school year, as well.  The validity of the PARCC test is not valid for these reasons.

2. One of the most controversial issues administrators and staff endured was whether students could, would or should opt-out of taking the test.  Parents’ requests to opt-out of the test certainly affected the district’s end results and skewed the bottom line negatively.  Ethically, this alone was a failure of the test assessment.

Overall, the PARCC assessments created a negative climate in our schools and we request the Report Card not be issued due to the non-validity of the test.  Thank you.

Michael Laub, Avon

Franco Gallo, Keystone

Michael Cook, Sheffield/Sheffield Lake

Dr. James Powell, North Ridgeville

Dr. Thomas Jama, Elyria

Steven Sayers, Amherst

Jerome Davis, Clearview

Dr. David Hall, Oberlin

Michal Von Gunten, Firelands

Robert Scott, Avon Lake

Scott Goggin, Midview

Craig Bansek, Columbia

Dennis Mock, Wellington

Gregory Ring, ESC of Lorain County

Dr. Glenn Faircloth, Lorain County JVS