The updated Ohio Legislative Service Commission report on HB 555, which contains all of the changes as voted on and approved by the House, as well as the the BASA rebuttal talking points can be found here.
The most significant change is the increase in the percentage of students required to score proficient in order to meet an indicator from 75% to 80%. This change, coupled with the increase in rigor (via increased cut scores and eventually test construct) could have a huge impact on school districts.
There are also significant changes to the gifted accountability measurements as well as the inclusion of Honors Diploma attainment as an accountability measure.
While there are many indicators that are within the control of districts to influence, there are parts of the accountability system that will be difficult for districts to affect. For example, National standardized test participation rate and average score could be troublesome. How can a district be held accountable for the number of students who elect, of their own volition, to take a standardized test on the weekend? Another example is Advanced Placement (AP) participation rate and test scores. The mere fact that there is a wide variance in the types of AP offerings around the State should be enough to take this off the table as a graded metric. Look a little deeper, and there is more trouble to be found with the inverse relationship between increased access and test performance. By exposing more students to AP, a District is creating exposure in the form of a potential negative test score outcome. Exposure and increased access should be the goal, but districts will be forced to make tough decisions if a numbers balancing game ends up occurring in order to meet the metric.
Please take an hour of your time, browse the links, and share your thoughts with your State Senator.
A sample letter (that can be customized) can be found here.
BASA MEMBER ALERT
To: School board members, superintendents, treasurers and other school business officials
From: Michelle Francis, OSBA — (614) 540-4000
Tom Ash, BASA — (614) 846-4080
Barbara Shaner, OASBO — (614) 325-9562
Date: Nov. 30, 2012
Re: Immediate Senate Contacts Needed on Report Card Changes!
Yesterday, the Ohio House passed House Bill (HB) 555, the school district report card reform bill. While there are a number of provisions in the legislation that we support, there are several issues that still concern us. We need your help in contacting senators now!
Lawmakers are telling us they are not hearing from school district representatives. So even if you have already made a contact about HB 555, it is crucial that you contact your Senate member immediately. The General Assembly is making changes to school district report cards that will affect you in the current school year.
HB 555 goes to the Senate Education Committee next week for consideration and is expected to move quickly. The full Senate could vote on the bill as early as Dec. 11.
Please use the following talking points when you contact legislators. These are changes we are seeking in the Senate. A rationale for each change can be found in our “Senate Amendment Request List,” which is available below.
1. The transition should not start during the current school year — changing the rules in the middle of the game is unacceptable!
2. Do not use letter grades for certain components on the dashboard that school districts cannot control!
• Advanced Placement participation rate and test scores
• Dual Enrollment Program participation rate
• National standardized test for college admission — participation rate and average score
• Kindergarten through third grade literacy rate
3. Do not dilute the value of the dashboard with a composite score. We oppose a composite score, both during the transition period and in the future.
4. Raising the student “cut score” on state tests through the anticipated PARCC assessments, while at the same time raising the “standard” for the passage rate for districts from 75% to 80% in HB 555 could impact districts dramatically. The simultaneous convergence of these factors (more rigorous curriculum, new and more challenging assessments and higher cut scores) has the potential to devastate students and districts unnecessarily. The movement of the 75% standard to 80% should be removed from the bill. We support raising the “cut score” but not the “standard” benchmark passage rate.
5. We need a “safe harbor” for school districts! Districts currently rated “continuous improvement” and above should not be subject to identification for purposes of EdChoice vouchers and charter school expansion as a result of the major changes anticipated with this bill for at least three years as HB 555 is implemented.
Important Links:
Click here for the rationale for the talking points: Senate Amendment Request List<http://ealerts.osba-ohio.org/files/file/HB555SenateRequests.pdf>.
Click here for legislator contact information: General Assembly Website<http://www.ohiosenate.gov/senate2012/index>.
Click here for the current version of HB 555: HB 555 As Passed by the House<http://ealerts.osba-ohio.org/files/file/129_HB_555_PH_Y.pdf>.
Click here for a summary of HB 555: LSC Summary<http://ealerts.osba-ohio.org/files/file/h0555-rh-129%281%29.pdf>.
We hope you will make contacts with senators before the Senate takes up HB 555. Please let us know if you have questions about the bill.
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