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Test Opt-outs Affect School District Performance Scores

This time last year several parents from different parts of Ohio decided to opt their children out of taking the school assessments. Our Statehouse reporter Andy Chow says those missing scores have affected this year’s report cards. 

There were various reasons parents decided to opt out. Some felt kids were getting over-tested, while others didn’t like the education standards known as Common Core. 

But the zeroes recorded when even a few students opted out were driving down school district performance scores. So the Ohio Department of Education is releasing more information on the report cards. The main grade will show the academic achievement score including the missing students.

But the department’s Chris Woolard says, on the side, will be another score where those students aren’t considered at all. 

Woolard: “The real discussion should be here’s what our data is showing us and what it tells us about the health of our schools.”

The department says nearly 99% of the state’s students took the assessments last year.