Tallmadge High School planned on giving the Ohio end-of-course state tests to students for first semester classes during the week of Dec. 14. That week, Dec. 14-17, all students were to be online, only coming into the building when they were to take their tests. Even before the district’s decision to go all remote, the complete online week was canceled with the intent of students attending school on the hybrid schedule that week. Students now will not take the Ohio State Tests until the spring of 2021 and instruction will remain remote.

As of now the state tests are still required. Although the state could decide in the spring that the state test would no longer be required to be taken this year due to the pandemic, the decision to cancel the testing has not happened. 

Taylor Lane, school counselor, said, “There is a possibility that the state could pass legislation allowing us to convert the grades earned in state-tested courses rather than testing students.” 

Tallmadge has recently decided to go completely remote until students come back from winter break. The school moved these plans of testing even before the shut down due to “the tentative nature of COVID-19.” 

If students were to test now, ongoing classes would have less time to prepare for their end of course exams given by the school. This gives them time to prepare for exams, which will be taken after winter break. 

“It gives students and teachers more time to work together,” Lane said. 

However for the second semester classes, their time may be cut a little short. If testing is done in April as planned, teachers will lose instructional time. As it is only December, the state of Ohio has not decided if state testing will be mandatory.

Lane said, “If we are required, we will lose instructional time, because students will be taking  [both fall and spring] assessments.”