Testing Requirements and Windows

Ohio Test Security Provisions and Procedures
Ohio State Test Portal for Teachers
Ohio Assessment System

All chartered non-public schools in the state of Ohio are required to adminster yearly assessments that are aligned to their courses of study. The Columbus Diocese believes that assessments are an important part of the Teaching and Learning Framework because they provide important feedback that impacts instruction. We believe in the following principles:

• Formal and informal assessments of learning (formative, summative, and diagnostic) are on-going and aligned to the performance objectives and learning targets. Students know in advance what they will need to learn, and they will have more than one opportunity to show they have met the standard. Teachers will use both informal (formative) and formal (summative) assessment to measure progress. Formative is assessment for learning and is characterized by direct and constructive feedback. Summative is assessment of learning and is designed to provide information or evidence about achievement of standards. Assessments can include portfolios, projects, quizzes, tests and daily assignments. Students will have multiple assessment opportunities –and different assessment options – to demonstrate their understanding of the standards. All assessment items are aligned to standards and determination of mastery is defined and communicated to the student prior to the student taking the assessment. The chart below breaks down the different types of assessments and their purposes:

• Formative assessments are frequent, timely, and focused on improving learning. Data from formative assessments are used to adjust teaching to improve learning, which results in increased student achievement.
• Summative assessment items are directly connected to the standards and assess the type of thinking and learning (depth of knowledge) the standard is targeting. Only summative assessments (written and/or performance tasks) count toward the "grade". Students are graded based on the evidence of achievement. This evidence can come from a variety of sources. STAR tests, performance tasks (observations), projects, portfolios and summative assessments are all examples of evidence teachers can use to determine achievement. Teachers should plan assessments aligned to standards in order to provide direct evidence of student proficiency on specific learning outcomes/goals. However, teachers should be careful not to use results from learning and practice activities (diagnostic assessments such as pretests, formative assessments or tasks). Students must be given the freedom to try and fail because that is integral to the learning process. When considering evidence, teachers should give priority to the most recent and most comprehensive evidence.
• Teaching and scoring rubrics are aligned to standards and reflect high expectations for all students.
• There is a system in place that provides for multiple opportunities for the student to demonstrate mastery of the standards. This system includes student expectations, teacher expectations and parent communication. Additional opportunities for students to learn, practice and exhibit their knowledge, skills, and growth makes for authentic learning in a standards-based classroom.