Nearly all of Ohio’s public school students are taking tests online. But one state lawmaker wants to preserve the pencil and paper option. The state school superintendent appeared on "The State of Ohio" this weekend, and said he's not impressed with that idea.
House Education Committee chair Andrew Brenner (R-Powell) said he’s not convinced that online testing results in better student performance, and notes some kids don’t have computers at home, so they’re less comfortable with them. Senate Education Committee chair Peggy Lehner (R-Kettering) called paper testing a step backwards. Superintendent Paolo DeMaria wouldn’t go that far, but he did suggest other issues with paper tests: “Well, also, more expensive. People who want results faster – that delays the time that you get results. So there are a lot of downsides on the paper side.”
And DeMaria says schools need to prepare students for a technological and digital world. Brenner proposed a provision in the House budget to keep the paper test option and to have the state study the issue.