Ohio Considers Making ACT Test Graduation Requirement
Ohio students would have to work harder and longer to graduate from high school under Gov. Ted Strickland's ambitious new plan to improve public schools. The governor said last week in his State of the State address that he wants all high school students to take end-of-course examinations, write a senior thesis, and participate in a service-learning project before graduation. He would also require every junior to take the ACT test, although students would not need to earn a certain score for a diploma.
In addition to seeking tougher graduation requirements, Strickland's education plan calls for improved assessments for elementary and middle school students, a residency program for new teachers, and better tracking of how schools spend money. If that's not asking enough, he also wants to add 20 days to the school year, which would make Ohio's the longest school year in the country.
Some families are already voicing concern about the impact of these reforms. They worry that the longer school year will keep their teenage children from working in the summer or enjoying summer vacations. There is also a question about how Ohio will pay for these reforms, which would be phased in over eight years. The state faces a $7 billion deficit.
Like other states, Ohio is counting on federal stimulus money to help get itself out of the hole and cover some of these costly reforms. Strickland said his education plan would boost the number of students going to college in the state. He said that the ACT test and end-of-course exams would be an improvement over the current graduation exit exam, which he said "does not measure creativity and problem-solving skills."
Five other states already require students to take the ACT test: Illinois, Michigan, Kentucky, Colorado, and Wyoming. At least two of those states—Colorado and Illinois—have seen an 8 percent increase in their collegebound rates since the ACT test became a graduation requirement, a 2005 study by the ACT found.
The saying "As Ohio Goes, So Goes the Nation" has become popular to describe presidential politics. If the Buckeye State moves ahead with its ambitious education plan, will the rest of the nation follow?
Related content:
Tags: Ohio | college admissions | high school | education | ACT | K-12 education
Tools: 
Share
|
| Comments (5) | Print
Reader Comments
ACT as graduation requirement
The ACT is (except fo Writing, which can be optional) is 100% "Multiple Choice", does not penalize incorrect answers, and thus in no way demonstrtates the student's reasoning processes in obtaining those answers; lucky guesses could in theory produce high scores. Conversely, the Ohio Graduation Test ()GT) increasingly requires the student to show work in arriving at the solution in order to receive full credit. Along with many fellow Engineers, I have tutored OGT Math and Science for several years, and we agree that these tests allow us to relate these tests to the real world. Governor Strickland has many good ideas on education, including internships for new teachers, but replacing the OGT with the ACT isn't one of them.
Many 18-year-olds might find it more to their liking to enter a skilled trade [e.g. plumbing, electrician, health care], all of which require a diploma or GED to qualify for occupational training - and I believe that the American economy requires more of them than 'English Lit.' majors.
Also: I8-year-olds have right to vote, but the ACT does not include Social Studies or American History, while the GED includes excellent expositions on how Congress passes laws. And to pass the US Naturalization Exam, immigrants are required to be more familiar with American government and history than a US high school (or college) graduate.
I believe that with the expenditure of elbow grease, OGT tests could be reworked to combine the best features of the present OGT, GED (a national test), PISA (international test), and the US Naturalization Exam. But insofar as 21st-century Science, the TerraNova test used by Parochial high schools is so advanced that I couldn't pass it unless I lucked out on multiple-choice questions.
Poll Shows Public Support for Ohio's Education Plan
Here's a link to an article in the Columbus Dispatch highlighting the results of a recent poll showing that a majority of Ohions support Gov. Ted Strickland's education plan.
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/ticker/SCHOOL_FUNDING_POLL.ART_ART_02-06-09_B5_G7CQL90.html?sid=101
Waht is a plumber going to do with an ACT score?
Not everyone is going to college.
How about teaching and stop social engineering
advertisement
