However, the budget bill passed by the Ohio General Assembly in the summer of 2009 resulted in several changes in OAA testing. Beginning with the 2009-10 school year, the writing portion of the OAA will not be administered to students in grades four and seven and the social studies portion of the OAA will not be given to students in grades five and eight.
The OAA is similar to the Ohio Graduation Test in format. Students answer multiple-choice questions as well as short and extended response questions.
The short and extended response items are similar to essay questions and involve writing out answers instead of selecting an answer. The questions on the OAA are aligned to, and assess students’ knowledge of Ohio’s Academic Content Standards at each grade level and in each tested area.
As a school district, the textbooks and materials that we purchase for use in our classrooms support both the teaching and learning of the Ohio Academic Content Standards and student success on the OAA and other required tests. Students that need additional assistance with grade-level content are provided with support through one-on-one and small group tutoring. We also provide multiple opportunities for students to prepare for the OAA through the use of practice tests as well as previous test materials released by the Ohio Department of Education.
If you know a student preparing for the Ohio Achievement Assessment, please encourage and support their efforts.
For more information about the OAA and Ohio’s Assessment Program, visit the Ohio Department of Education’s Web site at www.ode.state.oh.us and click on “Testing.”
William Kirby is superintendent of the Huber Heights City School District.
About the Author