With new federal legislation beginning to take effect, Ohio schools have had to examine the way they issue standardized tests to students with disabilities.
President Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 on Jan. 8, 2002. The new law represents Bush’s education plan and contains changes to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act since its enaction in 1965.
“The new rules relating to proficiency testing special education and No Child Left Behind in Ohio do not allow schools to exempt students based on disabilities,” said L. Scott Lissner, OSU’s Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator.
The NCLB Act gives the state responsibility for creating their own standards for what a child should know and learn for all grades. “In Ohio, we are in the process of implementing House Bill 3 that deals with Ohio’s plan,” said Beth Huffman, legislative liaison for the Ohio Department of Education.
According to Huffman, Ohio’s proposal is that all students at grade level with disabilities will be required to take achievement and proficiency tests, and would be able to do so using no accommodations or approved accommodations. Approved accommodations would include more time to complete the tests, with some help, or with alternative assessments.
There are some complex issues to respond to quickly, Lissner said.
“I know one parent who is concerned that, since the NCLB Act means that everyone must take the standardized tests, that her son will actually be left behind, because the standard test would not be appropriate for him,” Lissner said.
Vicky Reidy is one of the those parents Lissner is talking about. Reidy’s 16-year-old son suffers from mental retardation.
“I think standardized tests would be a total waste of time,” Reidy said.
