COLUMBUS, Ohio – Facing growing opposition from teachers, parents and legislators, new standardized tests given to students in Ohio, along with 10 other states and the District of Columbia, will be shortened by 90 minutes next year.
But it might be enough for Ohio lawmakers who have been considering getting rid of the exams.
READ MORE: In the Columbus Dispatch
The governing board of PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career), which includes Ohio schools superintendent Richard A. Ross, voted unanimously Wednesday to shorten the standardized exams, according to a report in the Columbus Dispatch.
The online tests in English/language arts and math debuted this year and took about 10 hours, depending on the grade.
PARCC is one of two multi-state tests tied to the Common Core standards, which spell out what reading and math skills students should master in each grade.
The PARCC tests are administered to students in grades three to eight and once in high school. As a result of the decision, the math and English exams will only be given once a year instead of twice.
The board also agreed to administer tests during a single 30-day testing window closer to the end of the school year. This year they were given during two test periods in the early and late spring.
The action comes a week after the Ohio House overwhelmingly passed legislation to dump PARCC tests and limit state achievement tests to three hours per year.
House Bill 74 moved to the Senate for review where late last month an advisory panel on student testing recommended that tests be shortened and twice-a-year administration of testing be consolidated, or Ohio should find new exams.