Community Discussion in Fremont

This past month, the Superintendent and Board of Education of the Fremont City School District hosted nine public meetings to give citizens in their community an opportunity to review and discuss the draft of Ohio’s plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act.  In addition, principals held nine building-level meetings to share the plan with their teachers and non-teaching staff.  Based upon the feedback from this community discussion, the Fremont school board last night adopted a resolution which includes recommendations to:

• reduce the number of state assessments and only test what is mandated by the federal law;
• provide more detailed student data on Ohio’s state assessments and provide that information in a timely manner so data can be used for instructional and curricular purposes;
• develop an accountability system that is more balanced and does not put an emphasis on standardized test scores;
• create a more descriptive rating system that appropriately defines the achievement and progress of students.
• allow school districts to develop local indicators of excellence that reflect the quality of their schools and include as a rating on the report card;
• revise the current graduation system so it is not based so heavily on standardized test scores;
• eliminate the retention component of the Third Grade Reading Guarantee; and
• address students with disabilities within the ESSA plan. Students identified with disabilities who cannot perform at the same level as their peers should not be expected to pass grade level state testing even with accommodations. Their testing should be aligned to their Individualized Education Plans.