Ohio Dumps PARCC - Lakewood Schools Gain an Opportunity

[Sean Wheeler]

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2015/06/ohio_dumps_the_parcc_common_core_tests_after_woeful_first_year.html

Lakewood City Schools has spent an inordinate amount of time, money, and effort on gearing up for the PARCC exams. They created digital literacy teaching positions to teach kids how to take online tests, they used PARCC guidelines to make technology choices (instead of using learning needs to make those choices), and there's been countless hours spent by the district chasing increases on this obviously silly and misguided testing system. Not to mention that we've shifted the entire curriculum and school calendar to fit these tests. In a sense, PARCC mandates have substituted for a clear district vision for student learning for the past four years. With the dumping of the tests, it might be high time that the community and district take the time to consider a mission and vision for the district that stems from the needs of a changing world instead of the needs of a testing regime.

Our school district administration has been reactive and compliant instead of visionary and mission based for too long. Now that the test is gone, will the district administration be freed up to actually think about the learning needs of our students instead of chasing test scores? Will the district recapture our reputation as a visionary and innovative district? Let's hope that a vision is announced that aligns the district to serve student learning instead of having student learning serve the tests. We should learn the lesson that there's no substitute for doing things because they're right, and not because we were told to do so by a corrupt and crumbling old-regime testing system.

How will Lakewood City School District react now that they've lost the PARCC mandates and are free to operate, at least until the next system is implemented, beholden only to our community and the needs of our children?