MOUNT VERNON — Like it or not, students in Ohio’s public schools must pass standardized tests in reading, math, writing, science and social studies in order to receive a high school diploma. Those Ohio Graduation Tests were developed to ensure that students have the knowledge they need in today’s society to be successful in the work force and higher education, and to comply with state law and federal No Child Left Behind mandates.
OGTs were given to sophomores during the first part of March. Juniors and seniors who had not previously achieved proficient scores on one or more tests also participated in the March round of testing.
Fredericktown sophomores’ projected passage rates are writing, 83 percent; reading, 89 percent; math, 86 percent; social studies, 84 percent; and science, 83 percent. Fredericktown offers a field day reward for the sophomores on June 2. Also, any sophomore who receives an advanced or accelerated rating on a part of the test is exempt from that subject’s exam. As with sophomores from other school districts, any Fredericktown student who did not pass any part of the OGT will have intensive intervention next fall prior to the next administration of the test.
Everyone eligible at Centerburg is graduating, so the OGT for the seniors hasn't been an issue there this year.
“We did well this year,” said Principal Mike Hebenthal. “Our lowest scores are math and science, but they are still pretty high. We do offer intervention services to those who didn’t pass various sections of the test. We will work over the next few weeks to try to see if there is any weakness in our curriculum, and also plan for what intervention the students will need next fall.”
