Consider This:

A community which accepts a single centralized test

...where test formats are rigid, requiring standardized answers and lower-order thinking skills.

...where success is measured in finite numbers which lead to punitive measure and rank and order filing.

...where instructional time is increasingly spent on cramming a wide range of facts, focusing primarily on content defined by a centralized authority and which is easily adaptable to a standardized format.

...where the biggest challenge is "guessing" what content will be included on the test and formulating strategies to best match the format of the test.

Or Consider This:

A community which honors various local assessments

...where assessment encompasses a variety of formats selected to best represent the knowledge learned and with open-ended alternatives which highlight high-order critical thinking and complex problem-solving skills.

...where learning is measured not just in accuracy, but also in progress, creativity, and uniqueness, and leads to a celebration of advancement and understanding.

...where teaching approaches actively encompass in-depth studies and hands-on experiences, and call to the democratic process that individuals involved will create an appropriate learning environment which respects all learners at all levels.

...where the biggest challenge is choosing from the boundless number of topics to discover, and deciding how far and how wide our knowledge will expand today.

There is no question that assessments drive curricula and teaching styles, both of which significantly influence the quality of the learning process.  There is a choice.  The right to choose is up to us.  

Find "A Case Against the OPT" here

Find "A History of Ohio Proficiency Tests" here

Find "Ohio Proficiency Tests and Education Standards Legislation" here

-- 2000

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			"The important thing is to never stop questioning." Albert Einstein

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