About Myth Busters: With continuing and
significant changes underway in public education – from the implementation
of the Common Core State Standards to the launch of new required state
assessments – it is important that parents have the facts. Knowing
the real facts can help Bulldog parents spot a myth when they hear one – and
there are currently a number of myths out there.
Olmsted Falls School District will feature periodic “Myth Busters” on our Weekly Blog Post as well as on the this website. We hope parents will find this new feature informative and, as always, we encourage you to contact your child’s school building or the Board of Education office with any questions.
MYTH: Students participating in PARCC testing will be given a survey at the end of the assessment which includes personal questions about family political affiliations, religion, beliefs in global warming, etc., to be used for private data mining purposes.
FACT: Spring PARCC tests do include a survey for students at the conclusion of their assessment focused specifically on evaluating the effectiveness of the new online tests. Student feedback from this survey will help pinpoint potential areas of adjustment for future versions of the online tests, such as clarification of directions or amount of time allotted.
To view the exact list of Student Survey Items for the Computer/Tablet-based PARCC ELA (English Language Arts)/Literacy Tests, please click HERE. To view the exact list of Student Survey Items for the Computer/Tablet-based PARCC Mathematics Test, please click HERE.
MYTH: Olmsted Falls School District is now requiring students to identify specific career pathways at very young ages. The District has implemented a program that forces students to make choices about future careers as early as the elementary school level. At OFHS, students are required to choose a career path before graduation.
FACT: Olmsted Falls School District has placed a priority on exposing students to the idea that there are many careers and opportunities available to them in the world beyond Olmsted Falls Schools, and that they have choices when it comes to future career pathways. Olmsted Falls School District has existing and expanding programs that allow students to research and gain exposure to careers that may be of interest to them. Programs and exploration vary by grade level, and opportunities increase as students reach the middle and high school levels. Career Day events featuring parent and local community volunteers are one example of such exposure at the elementary levels. As students progress into the middle and high school level, more sophisticated guidance and exploration is available. Interest surveys and identification of academic strengths allow students to learn about and explore different directions that may be of interest to them as they prepare for the world beyond Olmsted Falls Schools.
While none of this is really new, Olmsted Falls School District has started to be more targeted in recognizing that students could be exposed to many more connections and opportunities to their particular set of career interests, and dedicating resources toward those efforts. To meet the goal of better preparing our students for their futures, a College & Career Counselor was put in place at Olmsted Falls High School this year. This position has already had a significant impact on resources available for our high school students, and will expand to more actively engage at the middle school level next school year.
Olmsted Falls School District will feature periodic “Myth Busters” on our Weekly Blog Post as well as on the this website. We hope parents will find this new feature informative and, as always, we encourage you to contact your child’s school building or the Board of Education office with any questions.
MYTH: Students participating in PARCC testing will be given a survey at the end of the assessment which includes personal questions about family political affiliations, religion, beliefs in global warming, etc., to be used for private data mining purposes.
FACT: Spring PARCC tests do include a survey for students at the conclusion of their assessment focused specifically on evaluating the effectiveness of the new online tests. Student feedback from this survey will help pinpoint potential areas of adjustment for future versions of the online tests, such as clarification of directions or amount of time allotted.
To view the exact list of Student Survey Items for the Computer/Tablet-based PARCC ELA (English Language Arts)/Literacy Tests, please click HERE. To view the exact list of Student Survey Items for the Computer/Tablet-based PARCC Mathematics Test, please click HERE.
MYTH: Olmsted Falls School District is now requiring students to identify specific career pathways at very young ages. The District has implemented a program that forces students to make choices about future careers as early as the elementary school level. At OFHS, students are required to choose a career path before graduation.
FACT: Olmsted Falls School District has placed a priority on exposing students to the idea that there are many careers and opportunities available to them in the world beyond Olmsted Falls Schools, and that they have choices when it comes to future career pathways. Olmsted Falls School District has existing and expanding programs that allow students to research and gain exposure to careers that may be of interest to them. Programs and exploration vary by grade level, and opportunities increase as students reach the middle and high school levels. Career Day events featuring parent and local community volunteers are one example of such exposure at the elementary levels. As students progress into the middle and high school level, more sophisticated guidance and exploration is available. Interest surveys and identification of academic strengths allow students to learn about and explore different directions that may be of interest to them as they prepare for the world beyond Olmsted Falls Schools.
While none of this is really new, Olmsted Falls School District has started to be more targeted in recognizing that students could be exposed to many more connections and opportunities to their particular set of career interests, and dedicating resources toward those efforts. To meet the goal of better preparing our students for their futures, a College & Career Counselor was put in place at Olmsted Falls High School this year. This position has already had a significant impact on resources available for our high school students, and will expand to more actively engage at the middle school level next school year.