Leaders in Cleveland's teachers' union say dropping Ohio's PARCC standardized test earlier this week opens a window to improve testing in the Buckeye state. The Cleveland union says better communication and a test that reflects classroom realities is what's needed as StateImpact Ohio's Amy Hansen explains.
Cleveland Teachers' Union vice president Shari Obrenski hopes with a new test, the Ohio Department of Education will be able to give teachers better and faster feedback on how students are performing, sample prep questions that are released earlier, and a test that better reelects that national common core education standards.
The ODE needs to create the new exams by next spring, and Obrenski wants officials to take into consideration the kind of test educators need.
"Ultimately, that we have an assessment plan in our state that is integrated with the actual teaching and learning we do everyday, so that we aren't having to drop everything and spend an inordinate amount of time just drilling and killing for a test," she said.
Reacting to the PARCC news, the Ohio Education Association, the state's largest teachers' union, is calling for state officials to communicate clearly with parents and educators during the development process.