Parents, Students and Governor Strickland want the OGT Requirements Revisited

Many parents and students are upset by the Ohio Graduation Test. Parents and students feel that relying solely on one test to decide if a student receives their high school diploma is unfair. The 2007 senior class was the first graduating class that had to pass the Ohio Graduation Test in order to receive their diploma.

Thousands of seniors statewide failed at least one section of the Ohio Graduation Test and these students did not receive their diploma. Some of these students had very high averages in their classes but passing all fie sections of the Ohio Graduation Test proved a difficult task.

Many students’ and the parent’s feel that this is unfair, especially for students who have kept high GPA’s throughout their education. Has reported by WKYC.com even Governor Ted Strickland is upset by the test that's preventing thousands of student’s from graduating. Governor Strickland believes that it's wrong to put an all or nothing pressure packed measure of one test as the deciding factor of who graduates and who does not. Governor Strickland wants to start a discussion to revisit the state requirement.

Testing is always stressful and to some students tests are the most stressful times of their education. Taking a test that decides if you graduate no matter what else you have done throughout your school years causing so much stress anxiety for some students that passing is nearly impossible.

While the Ohio Graduation Test is a good idea and can make sure students know what is needed to go into college and succeed once they graduate, maybe the educator’s can find a better way to decide who graduates then simply relying on the scores of one test. Even though student’s do have several times starting in their sophomore year through their senior year, it still may to much too simply rely on one test to decide who graduates and who does not.