Among the many pernicious measures Gov. John Kasich signed into law with the new state budget was a provision that will ban the use of Common Core proficiency tests — called Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) — in Ohio schools.
The law takes another step toward dismantling Ohio’s use of the national Common Core education standards. State officials — especially Governor Kasich, who supports Common Core — shouldn’t let that happen.
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Ohio joined 44 other states several years ago in adopting the standards for English and math. President Obama has encouraged states to use Common Core, to make sure students get the skills and knowledge they need to compete globally and get decent-paying jobs, and to make it easier to compare student performance across states.
Common Core has replaced less rigorous, outdated standards in many states. It has earned the support of teachers, school administrators, and education reform advocates across the political spectrum. But the standards also have come under fire from some teachers’ unions, which fear that they undermine educators’ autonomy, and from anti-government extremists who complain that the standards amount to a federally imposed curriculum.
Such concerns have been more asserted than shown. The standards only outline what students should know at each grade level, and give educators the freedom to design their own curricula. They were developed not by Washington, but by the National Governors’ Association and a group of education leaders.
Still, opponents of Common Core have found favor among extremist Ohio lawmakers. State policy permits parents to opt out of having their children tested. A minority in the General Assembly has pushed to repeal the standards.
The measure approved by Governor Kasich will end, after just one year, the use of PARCC tests, which are used by 11 other states to measure students’ academic proficiency. The new law also will reduce testing times.
The Ohio Department of Education now says it will use the American Institutes for Research to administer Common Core tests. Testing opponents have criticized the move, and almost certainly will continue to push anti-testing legislation designed to undermine Ohio’s participation in Common Core.
Lawmakers say that dropping PARCC tests won’t affect Ohio’s use of Common Core standards. But participation in the standards doesn’t mean much unless the state has a reliable way to compare students’ outcomes to those in other states.
Increased testing does introduce legitimate concerns. Some teachers and parents complain about technical glitches in the testing software, as well as the time that the tests consume. Many worry that the tests increase student anxiety, and that lawmakers could use test results to penalize school districts financially.
Testing shouldn’t be a blunt instrument to deprive schools of funds. Tests are critical — not optional — tools for comparing students’ performance across states and globally, and ensuring they’re prepared for modern jobs and higher education.
Ohio lawmakers’ continued efforts to chip away at Common Core only undermine these goals.
First Published July 11, 2015, 4:00 a.m.
