Ohio Educators’ Ultimate Guide to Prepare for OST & OGT Testing

Between making sure that you are staying on pace with curriculum guides, practicing test-taking procedures and strategies, and providing the targeted preparation and reinforcement individual students need, this time of year can quickly begin to feel overwhelming for educators. The good news is that a little research and planning can go a long way toward ensuring that you’re able to provide the support students need to be successful on their Ohio State Tests (OST) and Ohio Graduation Tests (OGT). We’ve gathered all of the most useful, detailed, and relevant resources to help you put an outstanding test-preparation program into action.

Test-Preparation Resources from the Ohio Department of Education

When it comes to testing, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) is obviously the authority. And, the ODE has a great collection of free resources for educators! We’ve done the legwork of combing through the ODE library to find the best materials. First, get started by checking out the list of testing dates for the OSTs and OGTs. For the latest on the OSTs and OGTs, check out these pages:

Testing Homebase
Start here for all things testing. As additional resources roll out, this can continue to be your homebase. You can also sign up to receive state test updates.

FAQs About Ohio Testing
Get answers to questions about test times and scheduling, graduation requirements, and specific subject and grade-level testing details here.

Ohio's State Tests (OSTs)
Information for parents about the when, what, why and how of OSTs is found here. Additionally, grab quick links to sample test itesm and test administration resources.

Ohio's Graduation Tests (OGTs)
A host of resources for students, families, teachers, and administrators can be found here. Access practice tests, workbooks, testing guides, and Performance Level Descriptors for success. 

Test-Preparation Tips, Tricks, and Best Practices for Classroom Teachers

OST and OGT prep doesn’t have to dominate your classroom agenda this spring. By getting started early, utilizing formative assessment strategies, and making the most of practice testing, teachers in the classroom can provide students with individualized support without sacrificing time from the standard curriculum (and of course, some fun!). Check out these resources to get started.

[NWEA MAP Growth Assessments] Answering "What's Next with Your Data?" The NWEA™ MAP® Growth™ benchmark assessment is one tool that can offer Ohio educators outstanding insights into student progress and needs to support targeted instruction. But, once the test has been administered and RIT scores received, the data must be put to use for those truly meaningful insights to be uncovered—and that can be a daunting process. Edmentum’s programs can turn those scores into actionable, individualized learning plans for each of your students.

5 Proven Ways to Get the Most Out of Practice Testing
The old adage “practice makes perfect” is a familiar turn of phrase for a reason. Ensure that you’re getting the most out of every minute your students are spending on practice testing.

3 Ways Online Practice Can Support Your Test-Prep Program  
As you are considering different options to ensure that your students have achieved standards proficiency, it’s critical that you have a program that’s aligned to the Ohio’s Learning standards. Consider this and other benefits of using an online program.

4 Best Practices to Use Midyear Benchmark Assessment Data
Like any assessment, midyear benchmarks are only as valuable as the strategies you employ using the data. Here are four ways to make these assessments a truly valuable exercise for you and your students.

Marzano-Validated Best Practices for Online Practice
The Edmentum research team was honored to have Marzano Research peer review a research project that we conducted for our classroom practice and assessment program, Study Island. Through that review, Marzano confirmed our findings about the effectiveness of Study Island, and we also uncovered four best practices to help students get the most out of online practice.

Do you need Ohio end-of-course (EOC) preparation programs that deliver flexible practice that has been proven to improve student achievement? Be sure to watch this 20-min demo to learn more about effective EOC practice to meet course-level expectations.

General Test-Prep and Test-Taking Tips for Educators

No matter the exact situation, testing is a stressful process. But successful test taking, beyond content knowledge, is also a skill that can be taught, acquired, and mastered. Here are some of our best resources on general test prep and test taking to help the testing process go smoothly at your school.

10 Classroom and School Tips to Improve Test Scores
Helping students achieve Ohio test success is about much more than targeted practice in the classroom. Check out these 10 holistic tips to make sure that your students are ready for their assessments in all ways.

8 Last-Minute Steps Districts Can Take to Improve Test Scores
Administrators may not feel like they have a direct hand in making sure that students are well-prepared for OST and OGT assessments. But, there is no shortage of steps administrators can take to ensure that their teachers and students have what they need for a successful testing season—even when it comes down to the wire.

6 Tips for Teachers to Help Students Manage Stress
Testing season inevitably means classroom stress will hit a new high. So, how can you keep anxiety levels in check, and help your students stay cool, calm, and collected when test day rolls around? Here are six tips for a low(er) stress testing season.

8 Tips for Parents to Help Your Child Prepare for High-Stakes Tests
Parents and other caregivers are critical to every student’s education journey. So, get them involved in the preparation process! Share these eight simple tips with parents to help them support their learners on testing days.

Ready to take your OST and OGT test-preparation program to the next level? Check out Study Island, Edmentum’s online solution for classroom practice and assessment, and our extensive library of programs designed exclusively for Ohio educators and students. You can even start your FREE trial of Study Island today!

This blog post was originally posted on January 22, 2019.