Looking for a way to comply with the federal "No Child Left Behind" legislation, the Ohio Department of Education will hold all students accountable for their proficiency test scores, including those with learning disabilities.
That has some advocates for the disabled concerned the tests are setting some students up to fail. Others say it makes sense to treat all students the same.
Since 2000, every student has been required to take the proficiency tests, but this will mark the first year all special education scores will be averaged into a school's total score.
Local school officials are concerned it also may present an unfair judgment of schools and counteract progress made by special needs students. In Washington County, about 10 percent to 15 percent of a school's student body copes with a mental or physical learning disability.
At Warren Elementary, parent Kim Santini says she's OK with her 8-year-old autistic son, Landon, taking the proficiency tests.
"If he's going to be in a regular classroom, then that's part of the requirements, and I want him to take the tests," Santini said. "The more typical things he does, the better off he'll be."
Santini said Landon performs well on the tests despite his disability. She is concerned, however, about other special needs students outside the regular classroom who may not do so well.
"There's no reason to put them through something you know they can't handle," Santini said.
Warren Local Schools Special Education Director Andy Brooks said special education students taking proficiency tests can be good and bad.
"I don't think schools need to be penalized for students who just can't take the test," Brooks said.
At Warren Local Schools, officials have already seen a 5 percent drop from 52 percent passing to 47 percent in the fourth-grade reading scores when compared to October of last year. By the end of last year, the school's scores had risen to 76 percent and above the state standards, meaning if this year's early 5 percent decline remains consistent, the school would end up below state standards.
Recently, all Ohio fourth-graders took their first reading proficiency tests. The results, including the special education scores, end up presenting a bad image for smaller schools such as Frontier's Lawrence Elementary. With a fourth-grade class size of only 16 students, five special education students can skew the scores dramatically, Lawrence Principal Bill Creighton said.
Even if every typical student passed the test, five special education low scores would drop Lawrence below the state's 75 percent required passage rate.
"We keep plugging away at it, taking kids to the computer lab for (reading) exercises, but I think the state needs to find a different way to hold those kids accountable," Creighton said. Students will have the opportunity to pass the tests again in the spring and summer.
Marietta College education professor Bill Bauer said forcing special education students to take a test they cannot pass is ignoring the fact they have a disability.
"We should test them on items we feel they should accomplish, not tests they are set up to fail," Bauer said. Bauer said the state should allow schools to create special proficiency tests that take into consideration each student's disability.
Ohio Education Department Director of Assessment Jan Crandell said the new state requirement is in response to federal laws calling for one accountability system for all students.
"What has been easy in the past was to have high expectations for only some students," Crandell said. She said the federal government is afraid that if it does not include all students in proficiency testing, some students may slip through the cracks and be ignored.
Like most other states, Ohio is complying with the new standards because the federal government pumps about $400 million to $600 million into Ohio schools, Crandell said.
For students with extreme disabilities, the state does make allowances, Crandell said. A school can omit five percent of its special education students from passing a proficiency test with an alternative test created by the student's Individual Education Plan. The plan involves teachers, parents and administrators setting goals for special education students.
For the rest of the students, another option provides accommodations based on a student's disability. For example, if students cannot write their answers, they can take the test orally with help from an aide. The accommodations cannot enhance a student's work or change proficiency test content, Crandell said.
Marietta City Schools Student Services Coordinator Bridget Stephens said about 12 percent of Marietta's student body is served through an Individual Education Plan. She said about 4 percent of those students take an alternative form of assessment during the proficiency tests.
"My biggest concern is that we've been given such a discrete number, that 5 percent can be exempted," Stephens said. She said it's too early to judge the overall effect of including the special education scores, but she knows every school is in the same boat. So far, Stephens said Marietta's fourth-grade reading scores have remained consistent with last year's scores.