Could adults today pass high-stakes math?

School Administrator, June, 2004 by Dennis L. Recker

Thankfully, Ohio now is revamping its high-stakes mathematics test. I know one community's adults who will gladly sit for the exam to determine if it portrays what high school 10th graders need to know.

We hope by having Liberty-Benton's parents participate in this exercise, three results will occur. The first will be the redesigning of a test instrument that will not ensure the failure of approximately half a class of students. The second is to portray to legislators the potential damage inflicted upon children. The third outcome is to awaken local communities that political solutions to educational issues may have far-reaching and devastating effects.

What we did by conducting this study may not be politically correct for those who hold political clout, but it represents a morally correct effort to protect our students and community.

Dennis Recker is superintendent of the Liberty-Benton Local Schools, 9190 County Road 9, Findlay, OH 45840. E-mail: lb_supt@noacsc.org