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Saturday, March 15, 2008
OGT Blasted for Failure to Comply with State Fairness Guidelines
Posted by Media Release
Multi-Platinum Recording Artist Turned Cincinnati Media Activist Files Formal Complaint and Request for Appeal
(Cincinnati)—This week, Cincinnati multi-platinum recording artist from the band 98 Degrees, former mayoral candidate, and independent media activist Justin Jeffre filed a formal complaint with the Ohio Department of Education, requesting to appeal the work of the state’s “fairness committee” regarding Ohio Graduation Tests.
"To put this bluntly, the OGT might be unfair according to Ohio law,” said Jeffre.
“Ohio Administrative Code has guidelines which dictate how to insure graduation tests are ‘fair,’” he continued. “Based on my preliminary analysis, the OGTs are riddled with violations that should be obvious to anyone with common sense.”
Jeffre’s formal complaint and request for an appeal come during the week Ohio students are required to take government-mandated, high-stakes tests to determine graduation eligibility.
“I view the entire process as a distraction,” said Jeffre. “Teachers and school administrators stand at the forefront of educating our children. But instead of working for real school reform and innovation, they are bogged down with worrying about an intrusive government test.”
Jeffre identifies the real issue as the fact that Ohio’s Supreme Court has found the State’s funding of public schools unconstitutional. “Instead of implementing more bureaucracy, like convoluted ‘fairness committees’ that appear not to follow their own guidelines, our legislators should be concerned with upholding Ohio’s constitution.”
“We need real school reform, and legislation with teeth that creates a fair system of funding so public education in Ohio can be built upon an even playing field,” argued Jeffre.
His formal complaint and request for appeal outlines several alleged violations to the “fairness guidelines” in Ohio Administrative Code. Instead of pumping more business into what Jeffre calls Ohio’s “Educational Industrial Complex,” he said teachers, students, parents, and community members need to fight for reform that matters, and not allow everyone’s attention to be distracted by government tests that dumb down curriculum under the banner of political buzz-words, like “accountability.”
Jeffre is confident that his complaint will be considered fairly by the “fairness committee,” and he predicts a hearing on the subject of his appeal to be scheduled soon.
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View the letter of complaint here.
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15 Mar 2008 at 10:45 am | #
Does anyone have any sample questions from this test?
15 Mar 2008 at 10:51 am | #
Yes. Click here.
15 Mar 2008 at 02:28 pm | #
Does Jeffre propose solutions? Can you post the formal complaint that was filed so we can read it? I’d like to see a specific fault cited, and then a direct solution proposed. It sounds like there are a number of concerns. What are those specifically, and what are the proposed solutions for each one?
15 Mar 2008 at 04:59 pm | #
If you look above, there is an indicated link where you can download the complaint.
Solution? How about this: abolish the test! It looks like it’s unfair, according to the test’s own guidelines!
15 Mar 2008 at 07:34 pm | #
At least somebody is doing something about all this, rather than just sitting around complaining--and what a brilliant way to draw attention to Ohio’s warped public school funding formula!!!!
This doesn’t happen very often, but really, I’m impressed!!!! Good job JJ
15 Mar 2008 at 09:04 pm | #
I disagree with the test myself. I think it’s silly and forces teachers to teach to the test. However, I think that standardized tests are here to say, so what I think would be helpful are suggestions and attempts to improve them.
17 Mar 2008 at 06:41 pm | #
Holding the state accountable is admirable and when any action is taken that demands accountability there really is not a single negative consequence to such action so I applaud your efforts.
I do disagree with the implied opposition to standardized testing. While no test is fair, neither is life. Fairness really should not be a major goal of testing. I am not sure what the goals should be, but I do know one of them should not be fairness. That would be unachievable. Also, testing should reflect upon the institutions, teachers, and parents and definitely not the student. If a student had a choice of schools, teachers, and/or parents then and only then should they be held accountable for their test scores. Obviously, a student should rarely ever have a choice as to their parents, but supplying the opportunity for choice regarding the other two variables would seem possible and would produce positive results for everyone except the under-performing schools and teachers.
Funding issues are always the issues in the forefront when it comes to tax-payer funded institutions. I disagree as to its importance. I don’t think it is as important as accountability, but it’s the nature of the beast. I am at a lost to find solutions to the funding issues under the system as it exists today.
17 Mar 2008 at 06:45 pm | #
Great thinking, Mr. Ryan—you want to incentivize an abandonment of at-risk youth. Who would want to teach them, if teacher livelihoods were on the line?
17 Mar 2008 at 07:13 pm | #
I think we have discussed this at length before Mr. Dean. My position is that philanthropy and private markets is the answer. I may be wrong, but I know the status quo is wrong. Also, this whole new idea of “value added” testing could be the answer. It may even offer an incentive to teachers since at risk kids have the most potential for “value added”.
17 Mar 2008 at 10:37 pm | #
Mr. Scott Ryan: My position is that philanthropy and private markets is the answer.
Yup, I agrees with this smart feller who haz reel gud grammer so he must no abowt skoolin. They is the ansur.
19 Mar 2008 at 06:37 pm | #
Thank you Mr. Snerd for the grammatical correction. I have always felt that grammatical mistakes take away from the message. It has always been a week point and you simply add reinforcement that I must increase my vigilance.