Tuesday, March 07, 2000
Study: Ohio proficiency tests cause stress for teachers, students
The Associated Press
BOWLING GREEN — Students say Ohio's proficiency tests create extra stress at school and teachers say the exams hurt morale among educators, a study has found.
Older students had more negative opinions of the tests than younger ones, the research also found.
“They do not feel it's a legitimate means of measuring what they know,” said Robert DeBard, an associate professor in Bowling Green State University's School of Leadership and Policy Studies.
Researchers at Bowling Green studied students, teachers and administrators in the Perrysburg school district near Toledo. Perrysburg has enjoyed success in testing, ranking 27th out of 607 school districts in the state on the ninth-grade proficiency tests this year, according to the school report cards released last week by the Ohio Department of Education.
The study involved giving 40-question surveys to students in grades 4 and above.
They were asked whether the tests created excess stress during their school day, made them nervous and put too much pressure on them.
Two of every three Perrysburg elementary pupils surveyed said the testing caused excess stress, and three of four secondary students agreed.
“With each subsequent grade level there was more negativity expressed toward proficiency testing,” said Patricia Kubow, an assistant professor in the School of Leadership and Policy Studies.
The state exams are designed to measure what children should know about reading, writing, math, science and citizenship by the time they are in certain grades.
Students this week are taking the ninth-grade tests, which are required for graduation.
Bob Bowers, associate superintendent for curriculum and assessment for the Ohio Department of Education, said the testing is necessary. “If we're going to have quality graduates, then we're going to have standards uniform across the state of Ohio,” Mr. Bowers said.
He was not surprised that the tests led to added stress.
“Every state that has done this has experienced teacher anxiety and student anxiety to some degree,” he said.
The researchers also questioned 33 administrators and 203 teachers in Perrysburg. More than two-thirds of administrators and teachers said the tests adversely affected their morale.
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