Ohio Flags 18 Schools as Test Scores Face Investigation Ahead of Report Card Release
Students and teachers at 18 Northeast Ohio public and charter schools are waiting to see how they fare on tests taken this spring, before the release of Ohio’s school report cards.
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce is investigating findings at 52 other school buildings throughout the state, after discovering what it said were “significant testing anomalies. The review is a follow-up to a previous investigation based on testing concerns reported by Columbus City Schools.
The review may impact the academic performance reported on state report cards for some schools for children and families. Schools with results that are still under review will be marked with an asterisk.
The statistical anomalies do not, in themselves, indicate that cheating or other misconduct took place, state officials emphasized.
The indicators under review are: unexpected changes in performance compared to previous years, answers that seem inconsistent with the estimated ability, and unusual patterns in students switching from incorrect to correct answers, or from correct to incorrect answers, and in testing times that are too short or too long.
Three Cleveland Metropolitan School District buildings, Newton Falls Elementary School and some charter schools are among the Northeast Ohio schools being considered.
School leaders have until Sept. 18 to submit more details to state officials. The state may approve a school or seek additional information or refer for further investigation based on the responses.
Some teachers have voiced worries that schools would be named before any misconduct is confirmed, which might overshadow students’ success.
The investigation demonstrates the need for maintaining the integrity of children’s assessments and for schools and educators to be treated fairly during the review process.
