The following is an exact copy of the press release made by the OEA President regarding the issue of OPT and the resolution proposing a moratorium. It is important that we keep the pressure on OEA to continue to be forthright and aggressive on this critical issue for Ohio's educators, students, and parents. (RLH, 1-7-00)

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S T A T E M E N T
By Ohio Education Association President, Michael Billirakis
January 6, 2000

The Ohio Education Association (OEA), representing 120,500 teachers, faculty members and support employees working in Ohio's public schools, colleges and universities, recently adopted a position in support of high standards for students, but critical of the present Ohio Proficiency Tests. A resolution (copy enclosed) passed by delegates at the OEA's December 4, 1999 Representative Assembly calls upon the Ohio General Assembly and Governor Taft to enact an accountability program that is realistic, aligned with curriculum, provides resources to meet that curriculum, and fairly measures students' attainment of standards. The following is a statement by OEA President Michael Billirakis in support of that resolution.

Ohio Education Association members are professionals who work with Ohio's students every day. Their experience with proficiency tests has prompted a call for a redesign of these statewide assessments.

The OEA Representative Assembly, our governing body, passed a resolution in December, 1999 that asks for realistic, high expectations, alignment of the tests with the curriculum, the resources to implement that curriculum and valid, reliable assessment instruments.

Because of the impact the tests have had on students, parents and teachers, the OEA believes it is quite reasonable to ask for a moratorium on the current tests while more valid instruments are developed.

The current tests were designed without the benefit of an adopted state curriculum or adopted standards. The tests do not have any relationship, or alignment, with the current state minimum standards. School districts had to discover the standards that are created by the tests and then create a curriculum that will meet those de-facto standards.

The present system sets an arbitrary state standard developed by test makers, not by the State Board of Education or local school districts. Districts have had to struggle to find time and funding to address curriculum changes so they can meet the standards set by the tests. Basically, the process should be reversed.

Our members welcome high standards and recognize the need for assessment. The goal of any assessment system must be to help students learn and improve. Our members realize the future of Ohio's students is at stake and we therefore wish to see the assessment done correctly and with the goal of helping students to achieve.

The governing portion of the resolution passed by more than 1,000 delegates to the OEA Representative Assembly says, "OEA's members share the aspirations of most Ohioans for a public education system that provides a world-class education for Ohio's school children." We remain committed to working with all stakeholders to develop tests that will produce those results.

New Business Item #2, OEA Representative Assembly, December 4, 1999 OEA's members share the aspirations of most Ohioans for a public education system that provides a world-class education for Ohio's school children.

Our members believe that despite good intentions, the present Ohio Proficiency Tests include assessments of questionable validity and have actually reduced the quality of learning for many Ohio students.

We call upon the General Assembly and the Governor to enact an accountability program which would provide for:

1. a system of student standards which incorporates realistic high expectations for student learning;
2. a curricula aligned with those standards;
3. the resources needed to implement the curricula; and
4. valid, reliable, age-appropriate assessments instruments which will fairly measure students' attainment of the standards.

The focus of the assessment program must be on helping students to achieve and not on punishing students, teachers, and schools.

At each step in this process, classroom practitioners need to participate. Their involvement must not be merely cosmetic, but must allow for preK-12 teachers to substantively affect the outcome of each component of the process outlined here.

OEA is prepared to work with all stakeholders in this reform effort. Until such time as this accountability program is in place, OEA calls for a moratorium on the use of these proficiency tests.