Ohio Standardized Test Prep
Are your kids preparing for the Ohio Achievement Tests? Also known as OAT tests, Ohio achievement testing measures the progress of students from 3rd grade to 8th grade. Results from the OAT tests, and the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT) for 10th graders, provide actionable data that will help parents, teachers, and students improve academic performance in reading, math, writing, science, and social studies. Ohio’s Achievement Tests also help determine each school’s Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) as required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).
Time4Learning, an online service that teaches many of the tested skills, offers this page to help you understand the Ohio statewide tests, and how you can help your children with OGT and OAT test preparation and practice.
Ohio Achievement Tests at a Glance
Ohio public school students take the following Ohio standardized tests:
OAT Tests: 3rd Grade – 8th Grade
The Ohio Achievement Test program is aligned to Ohio Academic Content Standards, which define what students should learn each year. The Ohio Achievement reading test and the OAT math test are given to students in 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grades, and measure how well they are meeting grade-level expectations. Students in fourth grade and seventh grade also take the OAT writing test. Fifth graders and eighth graders are given additional OAT tests in science and social studies. The Ohio Department of Education administers diagnostic tests in core subjects to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders to determine individual strengths and weaknesses. These tests are not reported by the state.
High School: OGT Test
Ohio 10th grade students take Ohio Graduation Tests in reading, writing, math, science, and social studies, and must pass all five subjects to graduate high school. Students who do not pass the first time have many chances to retake the OGT tests. Along with public schools, some but not all private schools are required to administer the OGT.
How OGT and OAT Tests Are Scored
The Ohio Graduation Tests and Ohio Achievement Tests are standards-based tests that measure how well students have mastered the challenging Ohio Academic content standards. The OGT and OAT tests report student achievement in each subject using the following five levels:
1. Advanced
2. Accelerated
3. Proficient
4. Basic
5. Limited
The goal is for all Ohio students to score at or above the proficient level. If your child scores below the proficient level, ask your school for additional assistance, and find out what you can do at home to support learning.
Other Ohio Standardized Tests
Ohio uses a balanced range of assessments that promote learning for all students. Ohio’s Alternate Assessment for Students with Disabilities (AASWD) is designed to measure the progress of students with severe disabilities who require special accommodations. Ohio’s Alternate Assessment based on Modified Achievement Standards (AA-MAS) is used with students enrolled in individualized education programs (IEPs) who are persistently low performing. Students with limited English Proficiency (LEP) take the Ohio Test of English Language Acquisition (OTELA), which measures their progress in English language acquisition.
Ohio also participates annually in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), known as the Nation’s Report Card, where a sampling of students (from grades 4, 8, and/or 12) are tested in several content areas as part of a nationally representative assessment of student performance.
A good resource is the Ohio Statewide Testing website, designed to help parents understand OGT and OAT tests.
Preparing for Ohio Statewide Testing
The real preparation for the OGT and OAT tests, or any standardized test, begins with your commitment to your children’s education throughout their school years. Devote time and effort to helping your children learn. Start by making sure your kids do their homework and read every day. Many families also employ tutors or an online learning program, such as Time4Learning, to build fundamental skills.
Most prep programs and books offer guidance and practice with test formats, time restrictions, test-taking strategies (when to guess, when not to), and different types of questions. For instance, when a reading passage is followed by comprehension questions, many test prep programs teach students to scan the questions first in order to know what areas of the passage require close reading.
Time4Learning is not a test prep program, it is a program that builds the skills that will be tested. It teaches reading comprehension, not test tricks. Time4Learning is a new approach that takes advantage of today’s technology. It’s a convenient, online home education program that combines learning with fun educational teaching games that give students independence as they progress at their own pace.
The online language arts and math curriculum comprise a comprehensive program for preschool, elementary school, and middle school. It can be used as a comprehensive homeschool program or to strengthen their understanding as an afterschool program.
Is your child’s math and language arts skills at different grade levels? No problem, just tell us in the online registration process.
Time4Learning is proven effective, has a low monthly price, and provides a money-back guarantee so you can be sure that it works for your family, risk free!
