By TEACHER

July 24, 2008 4:44 PM | Link to this

Fact: Students can get labeled and become exempt from the test. Fact: Some illiterate students will graduate before one who has worked very hard and is slightly below average. Employees will hire an illiterate with a diploma while passing up efficient students due to the clever way the system pushes all the low students through while sacrificing the borderline ones. Hey, no child left behind, or no child pushed forward?

By Stephanye

May 30, 2008 12:38 PM | Link to this

Steve, I could go at it with you all day, but the fact is that you are missing the point. And yeah I know you have to pass all 5 sections STEVE but there is an alternative. Now the reason why the child I’m talking about couldn’t march is because she was over the max amount of missed days in 2006. She met every other criteria as far as grade pt average, no expulsions and she received a recommendation from her teacher. Now you mean to tell me that this parent and there are other parents in this situation shouldn’t be upset that their child cannot march. She was 2 days over the max amount in 2006 ( and to make it clear to you) the absences were excused. This father I believe and support has a valid reason to be upset as well as the young lady mother I’m speaking about. My thing is if the rules state you cannot march because you did not pass all thats required of the OGT, then there should not have been an alternative to meet that criteria. Let the rule stand. THEN there would be no point to this debate. AND its really as simple as that STEVE, later!!!!!!!!

By mario

May 27, 2008 9:35 PM | Link to this

For the last several years, parents have been informed of the requirements. Starting in Sept. of senior year, parents of students who had not passed all parts of the OGT were notified by certified mail as well as by phone calls, letting them know the specific consequences of not passing. In addition to checking with the administration, I would ask one or two principals and they would express their dismay at the low level of follow-up by parents. Additionally, we often forget that students need to have ownership of their education, parents and teachers can provide guidance and opportunity, but the students have to do the heavy lifting i.e., come to school, participate in class, take advantage of remedial activities as necessary. Unfortunately, for many of these students, it sounds as if this is the first time that they have been held to an immutable standard. Their parents are doing them no service by fighting this fight.

By J

May 27, 2008 4:27 PM | Link to this

I’ve said this so many times in these blogs… 70-90% of a child’s life (from age birth to 18) is spent OUTSIDE the classroom. Parents who have high expectations and demand excellence from their children will rarely have a problem with a bairly passing grade or a not-quite passing test score. The Dayton schools have set up some really good criteria for a student who has not passed their OGT to still be able to walk. Unfortunately the amount of students who take the time to go in for extra help and the amount of parents who demand it, is so low it’s laughable. As for parents not knowing if their child passed of not?!?! Please! My mother knew every last quiz I had taken or had coming up from math to spelling to Presidential Fitness Testing. Is the excuse that parents don’t know if their child passed THE OGT (!) really an excuse that people are trying to use!? How sad is this society! Wake up parents! The “my kid didn’t do anything wrong” attitude creates a child who will do the least amount possible to get by - and generally that means that I will be or already am paying for them in some way… whether it be on welfare or in jail. Good lord, my husband and I expect our 2 1/2 year old to behave when we go out to eat. He understands and has understood for some time that behaving badly in public is not acceptable. We’ve never had issues with him in public because we have always expected him to behave. Demand excellence and accountability and it will be given to you. (To cck: No one has said in this blog that the way Kettering and Fairmont are handling graduation by allowing those who haven’t passed the OGT’s to walk is the right way to do things. Maybe, just maybe, this time Dayton Public Schools is getting it right and demanding some excellence and accountability from their students.)

By steve

May 27, 2008 2:50 PM | Link to this

Steph; They say some people you just can’t reach and your obviously one of those kind of people. YOU MUST PASS ALL 5 SECTIONS STEPH!!!! PERIOD!!!! IT MATTERS NOT IF THE STUDENT IS PROM KING, HEAD OF STUDENT GOVERNMENT, CAPTAIN OF THE FOOTBALL TEAM ETC ETC. You must pass all sections that is the requirement sorry your friend or friends didn’t make it. My daughter just passed the final portion of her test in Jan. and if she had not passed I wouldn’t of expected her school to let her march either. You have to earn a diploma, it isn’t an entitlement. This is a big problem in the world especially the USA that were entitled, no were not entitled and you have earn what you get in this world so GROW up Steph study harder, and you’ll pass. The person who passed with a D has a 1.5 grade average, the kid with B has a 3.0 grade average, but the kid with the D passed all 5 portions of the test so he get’s to walk end of story. The kid wit ha B might be smarter but they didn’t pass all 5 sections so no walking for them. It REALLY IS THAT SIMPLE STEPH…LATER..

By cck

May 27, 2008 1:02 PM | Link to this

Why is Fairmon’t students allowed to march? I fill like Dayton is just as good. or maybe I should move to Kettering and then it would be okay. Most of the people writing these comments probably do not live in the city of dayton anyway!!!!

By Steph

May 27, 2008 11:28 AM | Link to this

To Jacki: Your little remark was not cute. Like I said the student with the “D” average is just getting by. We can all agree that a “D” is below the average and JUST GETTING BY. SO the student with the “B” average that missed the OGT by 1 pt should be able to walk that path right along with every other student. Now what part of “your child just got by” dont you understand.

By Mary

May 26, 2008 3:46 PM | Link to this

“null”, if I am the Mary you “miss”, I provided some comments on this issue on the later blog. I personally care less who marches in a graduation ritual and how many valedictorians there are. I am inclined to believe the schools and the public are overly anal on some of the rules for things like this. I would like to see them become more concerned about the day to day issues in the classroom over the child’s 13 year history and the overall quality of the education experience. Some of these children could have tried very hard or not at all. Some could have undiagnosed learning disabilities. To me, there is a difference between a graduation ritual and requirements for a diploma. If going through a public ritual is important to the student after 13 years of seat time, have the diploma given to the child with some conditions. Big deal! It is a superficial ritual - not the education itself we are discussing.

By null

May 25, 2008 8:32 PM | Link to this

Mary, where are you!!!

By Tim

May 25, 2008 4:45 PM | Link to this

To a teacher…, other teachers are often the enablers with the liberal attitudes that permeated teachers’ ranks during the 80s and 90s. They help the sympathy routine. The track runner from Trotwood whose father was on TV last week being interviewed about how unfair it was his ‘star’ had been caught violating OSHAA rules about residency. I’m surprised Trotwood wouldn’t check to see if someone wanting to move in that was a ‘star’ athlete was hiding something. The kid and his father are being rewarded with a full scholarship to U of M. Doesn’t say much about the educational system, does it. Where’s the indignation from the reporters on this one? They should be interviewing U of M asking why they’re taking a person who would scam like this…

By a teacher

May 24, 2008 10:36 PM | Link to this

To all: it is wonderful to read comments that dominate this message board. Having worked in DPS for more than 2 decades, I have often wondered if I were alone on a deserted island: the island of trying to uphold minimum standards. Many times administrators and teachers themselves have been guilty of perpetuating the “entitlement mentality” and it frequently has been difficult to watch. But redemption: sweet redemption!

By a teacher

May 24, 2008 10:05 PM | Link to this

Dayton Parent: Should have listened to us! We tried to tell you! I tell my kids frequently: You’ve got to study, take notes, come to school everyday, pay attention and do your homework. Many still aren’t listening. Many parents don’t insist on excellence. WE TRIED TO TELL YOU.

By Laura

May 24, 2008 7:47 PM | Link to this

Re: Respect is Due: No, respect is earned. Besides, no one is saying they don’t deserve respect. But they don’t deserve to march along with the students who earned their diplomas. The educators do have a back up plan. The problem is, too few students take advantage of it. It is called: studying. The schools offer many opportunities for the students to get extra help. No matter how much help the state offers some students, there are some who will never do what they need to do. Those are the ones who aren’t walking. As to the comment that they didn’t have enough notice- they knew the last (fill in the blank with the correct number) time(s) they took the test that they might not pass. If I thought my child might not pass, I’d wait until I was sure before I spent any money planning a big bash. As I said in a previous post, in a lot of cases, this isn’t even about the students getting their diplomas. It is really about the parents wanting to throw a big party and the students wanting to rake in the gifts.

By Concerned Mom of 3

May 23, 2008 11:00 PM | Link to this

WOW! The apples arent’t falling too far from the tree, are they? Imagine that.

By Caroline

May 23, 2008 10:57 PM | Link to this

The bottom line is that the schools have rules about who walks and who doesn’t. It has to be this way. Graduation wouldn’t mean anything if you didn’t have to accomplish certain things in order to participate. The students have been told repeatedly that they have to pass the OGT in order to walk. These parents are showing their true colors by trying to get this injunction. They think that their child is entitled to participate in graduation, even though their child didn’t meet the requirements.

By JAT

May 23, 2008 10:47 PM | Link to this

I have to laugh at the posts from these idiots that come up with every reason in the book as to why these kids who have not met graduation requirements should march. Just the whiny tones of their posts tells me a great deal! I work with these kids in a DPS high school. When they don’t do well and (if you are lucky) a parent shows up for a conference, it is everyone else’s fault that their child is not doing well! Forget the fact that the kid’s attendance is horrible, that when they are at school they are not in class and that they spend no time studying at home in the evenings. Apparently this is ok with the parents until reality slaps them in the face and their spoiled and entitled brats can’t graduate. I guess it’s called what goes around, comes around. This is sure to be perhaps the first of many big disappointments these kids will face. Unfortunately they have not been taught to be responsible and like their crybaby family members will go through life blamimg other for their lack of success. There are a couple of posts on this blog where just that is happening.

By Tim

May 23, 2008 8:13 PM | Link to this

For respectisdue and the others, it’s like the bank and your checking account. When you write a check that’s bigger than the number of dollars you have left in your account, do they say it’s okay. You have 55$ left and your checkis for 75$. We’ll let it go through without noticing and just pretend it met all the requirements. See how easy that is to understand? Try following the rules for what’s required by the schools and you’ll find it easier the next time to make ALL the requirements. It’s like the Alter student who faked a transfer to Trotwood and is in today’s sports section trying to pretend he really met all the requirements at Trotwood in residency to be a football and track star. I wonder if U of M who gave him a full scholarship knows; they will on Tuesday. He doesn’t meet the requirements to be legal at Trotwood.

By deb

May 23, 2008 6:19 PM | Link to this

It is my personal opinion that parents that don’t support the system that is already in place send their kids a message that rules aren’t important…..If you don’t like the rules that DPS has set up, then find out how to change them - for next year or down the road. Students are told all thru school that they have to pass the OGT to get their diploma…My 7th grader knows that he needs to pass the OGT to get his diploma…Graduation and Commencement are ceremonies that are EARNED - end of story, period. Here’s the other part of this…since these kids aren’t able to receive their diploma at this time - that tells us that their attendance was less than 97% during their time at TM, their gpa is less than 2.5 in the class they didn’t pass or that they may have been expelled at one point or another…Those things also will keep them from getting a waiver on the OGT and their diploma…My understanding is that those kids don’t even qualify for the waiver…Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen to your first lesson in the School of Hard Knocks…

By Buford

May 23, 2008 5:08 PM | Link to this

Just having these comments in a public forum and on this subject is indicative of the undesireable changes in school/educational perception. We are quick to offer and make excuses for students who do not (for whatever reason) meet all applicable standards for the school systems attended. It wasn’t always that way. We actually used to hold kids accountable for their actions, for their homework, for their attendance, for their participation in class. It does seem that we have decided it is worse to give the students a taste of the real world than to hand massage them, tell them standards do not really matter, and turn them loose - to what? In the real world, people fail. In the real world some people are good in certain areas and lousy in others. In the real world, an employee is expected to be at work and perform the function for which paid. If the employee does not measure up, they are terminated and someone else gets a crack at the position.

By Jacki

May 23, 2008 4:02 PM | Link to this

Re: Steph I’ll try to type slowly so that you may understand. The student with the D average who passed the OGT has met graduation requirements. The student with the B average who was close to passing the OGT but who did not make the passing score, simply did not meet all graduation requirements. Either they’ve passed or they have not, in the same way as an airplane pilot either finds the runway to land or he/she doesn’t, or a surgeon either locates the tumor or he/she doesn’t. It’s really very simple. I’m not sure what part of “Your child passed” or “Your child did not pass” the complaining parents can’t understand.

By Tim

May 23, 2008 1:57 PM | Link to this

As a teacher I have watched the kids goof off, disrupt the classes, and then complain because they haven’t met all the requirements. I’ve met their parents who come in like idiots to support their kids’ disruptive behaviors. The No Child Left Behind mandates minimum testing. Your kids didn’t pass. Too bad. You should have been a better parent. The rules are clear from the beginning, just like work, learn, get a job and support yourself instead of being a leech on the few of us left paying taxes. Your kids didn’t make all the requirements. They don’t walk. Try to teach them better.

By Respect is due

May 23, 2008 1:52 PM | Link to this

This comment is for: The State Of Ohio. I am supporting my friends Kelly & Steph and young sisters and brothers. It has come to my attention that many students were not able to march with their class due to the OGT testing. My question to you is why? You mean to tell me, these students have been going to school since they were little and told to stay in school so they can take that walk. I mean, how rude can you be. Everyday we hear about young adolescence commiting suicide, selling drugs, dropping out of school, and early pregnancy. But you can’t even show them any respect as into appreciating them for making your paychecks big and making the right decision inorder to get a better job and have a better life. What is the message you are trying to send to the future children to come? I understand that Ohio has certain guidelines to follow, but I believe if the student has shown up for classes for the school years, no behavioral problems, and upheld a fair attendance then they should be able to march. Put yourself in their shoes. Some of you were not perfect yourself, we are here to guide and lead as an example for our children not break them down. Also, if you knew that some students had failed the OGT, don’t you think you would inform the parents earlier? Schools tell parents stay on top of it.Yet you all forget to tell parents that their child did not pass OGT after the fact they spent funds for the joyous day. I feel that is wrong and unprofessional. You have scores ahead of time. And if schools were notified before Graduation, don’t you think preparations could be done to retake another test before the last few weeks of school? Prepareations is all what you “The State of Ohio” talk about but you don’t show much to acknowledge the fact that these students were already under the impression that , “hey I get to march with my class”. I believe how you “The State Of Ohio” shame on you to crush spirits of the future generations of the nation & state. Everyone who designed this OGT has a degree but along with that degree is common sense and compassion. Who are you to tell the future educators that they are not worthy. I also feel that this is a waste of tax payors dollars if you “The State of Ohio” can’t design a back up plan to make sure all students pass. This issue is disappointing. What would marching with their class hurt? The Dayton area schools some don’t even get their diploma during the ceremony, they’re mailed. So what is the point “The State Of Ohio”? The students and family have been awaiting this day for years and went through the hard times with their children. And yet, this disrespect has brought the future of our country down. These students have earned the march because they decided to do “the right thing”.

By CARING AND CONCERNED KELLY

May 23, 2008 1:41 PM | Link to this

I CAN’T BELIEVE THAT SO MANY PEOPLE ARE BEING SO HARD ON OUR CHILDREN WHO HAVE COMPLETED FOUR YEARS OF HIGH SCHOOL AND NOW ARE UNABLE TO PARTICPATE IN A THEIR GRADUATION CEREMONY, DUE TO THE OGT TESTING. THE DROP-OUT RATING FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IS HIGH AND RIDICULOUS, I THINK WE SHOULD LIFT THESE KIDS UP IN EVERYWAY THAT WE CAN AND IN DOING SO WE NEED TO GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO WALK WITH THEIR CLASS THAT’S WHAT IT SHOULD BE. WHO IS IT REALLY GOING TO HURT? THE WHOLE ARGUMENT IS NOT THAT THEY SHOULDN’T GET A DIPLOMA. IT IS FOR THESE KIDS NEED TO BE TREATED LIKE ANY OTHER STUDENTS IN OHIO THAT DIDN’T PASS THE OGT, BUT ARE GOING TO BE ALLOWED TO MARCH WITH THEIR GRADUATING CLASS. fOR AN EXAMPLE, FAIRMONT’S SUPERINTENDENT IS GIVING HIS STUDENTS A CHANCE. WHY ARE WE SO QUICK TO TEAR DOWN INSTEAD OF BUILDING UP THE FUTURE. MAYBE IT’S NOT THE STUDENTS THAT NEED TO LEARN SOMTHING MAYBE IT’S ALL OF YOU. WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO “NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND”. THERE ARE A LOT OF GOOD STUDENTS FIGHTING TO STAY IN SCHOOL AND BE ALL THEY CAN BE. DON’T GIVE THEM A REASON NOT TO!

By Steph

May 23, 2008 10:49 AM | Link to this

It seems to me that the people who are responding on this blog are idiots. The whole argument is not that the children have met the requirements for graduating because they did.Some children and possibly yours may just be getting by in school averaging a D and yes if they pass their OGT, they get to march. Is that fair? Whereas a student who carries maybe a B average and comes within a point 399/400 does not get to march. How is that fair? All we are asking is that they get to march with their fellow classmates. The kids were allowed to participate in senior trips, senior luncheons, prom so why cant they PARTICIPATE in commencement? It’s clearly unfair

By Lyn

May 23, 2008 10:10 AM | Link to this

As a teacher, I can say that it really isn’t that difficult to pass the OGT. The other posters here are correct… go to school, participate, ask for help, and work at it. Do these things and you will pass. Do these things and you will march at graduation. Parents need to hold their child accountable and help them if they need it. That is the “job” of a parent. Most of the kids that I see that don’t pass do not have the parents giving them the proper guidance. Then, when those kids become seniors and aren’t graduating… those are the first parents to complain! Get a clue parents; your child not only needs schools & teachers…. they need you first.

By Oldprof

May 23, 2008 9:17 AM | Link to this

In my classes, I regularly do an assingment where the students are permitted to ask me if a limited number of their answers are correct—and if not, I explain why so that they have a chance to correct them. Frequently, students try to argue with me: “But I was thinking that…” Those students are the product of this entitlement culture; if you can’t do the assignment right, argue about it. Today’s DDN article notes that Domeneck committed several “procedural errors” in filing his action; let’s hope the judge holds him to high standards, throws out the frivolous suit, and orders him to reimburse the school system for their legal fees.

By Parent & Teacher

May 23, 2008 9:07 AM | Link to this

This is a prime example of the ‘entitlement generation’ and the parents who perpetuate it. Graduation standards must be met, and it’s a hard lesson to learn (for both the child and parents) that if the requirements are not met, there will be no diploma.

By Barb =:)

May 23, 2008 8:58 AM | Link to this

Fail the test, you don’t graduate. Don’t graduate, you don’t walk. Plain and simple. If you don’t meet graduation requirements, you should not graduate and you should not be allowed to walk. If they walk, why not let juniors walk? They’ll graduate eventually too if they meet the requirements, right? If they walk, why not let the kids who flunked out walk? They didn’t meet graduation requirements either. Shouldn’t they be able to walk though??!! NO! There should be no debate.

By TeacherDC

May 23, 2008 8:31 AM | Link to this

Oh spare the kids feelings - let them get the benifits of those that did work hard and passed their tests. It isn’t there fault they didn’t try harder……….or is it? We are so upside down, we don’t want to upset anyone or hurt anyones feels. It is alright you don’t have to work hard, be hurt by anything the government will take care of you and you can become a slave by your own choice. Why don’t we help the top achievers do more and let them set the example for the rest, instead of the other way around? If you fail - you fail - it is then your choice to work harder and try again - NOT get a free pass and told it is alright. We are breeding a generation to be the lowest achiever. They know that is how the PC public works.

By davidss2

May 23, 2008 8:24 AM | Link to this

Isn’t this a hoot? A parent trying to reverse the rules to benefit their kid because of their lack of due diligence and preparation!!! You know, high school, studying, passing classes, passing the test! Or should we make exceptions for certain kids because they’re special? Come on folks. Don’t embarrass yourselves by trying to take this to court and wasting court time?

By Been There, Done That

May 23, 2008 8:11 AM | Link to this

I graduated in 1997. I was not able to march. I had passed all the parts of the test except for Mathematics. I studied hard and went to summer school. It really hurt me that I couldn’t march. Sometimes, with certain areas of education, it takes one longer to fully understand and get it. I was a good student, maintained a “B” average, but Math was just not my friend. I know that DPS has always required that you don’t march if you don’t past the Test. My teachers worked long and hard with us, really cared. I do not feel its fair that other district seniors ARE able to march and others aren’t. I passed right after graduation and picked up my Diploma from my High School. It was tough, but we got over it.

By bill

May 23, 2008 7:38 AM | Link to this

TOO BAD!

By hakko936

May 23, 2008 7:27 AM | Link to this

Simple question: Did the students in question meet all of the requirements to graduate? No, they did not. They don’t walk. The districts that allow it are doing more harm than good. This parent wants to take graduation away from the students who got it done because his daughter didn’t get it done and won’t walk. This is pathetic.

By James

May 23, 2008 6:48 AM | Link to this

I can actually remember when students were held back a grade when they didn’t pass; unlike some of the illiterate boobs we see getting high school diplomas today. Districts that allow students that fail to meet the requirements to participate in commencement exercises anyway are no better than “puppy mills.” A High School Diploma is the first of life’s very important documents a person is required to EARN … I repeat … EARN. Too many kids today, thanks to the liberal “gimme” generation, are growing up thinking that the Govenment and the world owes them a living. They, and their liberal parents better wake up and smell the coffee.

By dayton parent

May 23, 2008 5:43 AM | Link to this

IT IS VERY UNFAIR THAT MY DAUGHTER IS UNABLE TO MARCH WITH HER CLASS. EVEN THOUGH SHE DIDN’T PASS ALL OF THE OGT TEST SHE PASSED ALL OF HER CLASSES. BE REASONABLE LET THE STUDENT MARCH WITH THEIR CLASS AND GIVE THEM THEIR DIPLOMA AFTER THEY PASS THE TEST. NOT LETTING THEM MARCH WITH THEIR CLASS IS VERY UNFAIR. I REMEMBER BACK IN THE DAY YOU COULD STILL MARCH AND YOU RECEIVED YOUR DIPLOMA AT A LATER TIME.

By Tess

May 23, 2008 1:31 AM | Link to this

I agree with one and all…meet the requirements. I do wonder what these parents are thinking to tell their kids that it’s OK not to meet a standard and yet DEMAND the reward that comes with it. There are exceptions…didn’t these kids even meet those? As a parent of a graduating Sr. I DEMANDED my daughter meet the standard….and did all I could to help her get there. She’s attending UD in the Fall on an academic scholorship and can proudly say she earned it…and didn’t whine about the rules on the way. Of course, that can’t be said about cleaning her room!

By Hudy

May 23, 2008 12:22 AM | Link to this

Allowing a student who didn’t pass ALL parts of the requirements to take part in graduation ceremonies is a slap in the face to the students who did pass. This is a classic example of irresponsible parents and their kids. Gee, the kid only had 4 years to complete everything and now, all of a sudden, the parents are realizing their kid is failing? Great job by Mom & Dad. I say the kid should suffer the consequences of either their laziness or ignorance.

By U.S. Education SUCKS!

May 22, 2008 11:52 PM | Link to this

Just what we need…more kids being rewarded if only because you are too scared to scar them emotionally. Seriously, education has gone to HELL in this country. You can’t fail a kid because it will “scar him forever,” so complete imbeciles are getting C’s just so that they aren’t pushed over the edge. Then, they can’t pass a simple test that an average 5th grader could pass most of. Well, perhaps if the kid was failed in class the first time through instead of just being given a C so that they aren’t “hurt pscyhologically,” something would have been done to make sure this didn’t happen. Take a seat in the stands and applaud your classmates. Hopefully some of them will come back to applaud you when you do finally get that last section passed.

By Pat Suarez

May 22, 2008 11:49 PM | Link to this

Trying is admirable but it is not succeeding. Those who work to success are those who should be rewarded. Those who try and fail should understand that they must keep trying, that they are not owed what those who succeeded earned. We are raising a legion of kids with an entitlement mentality. Bad business, that.

By meangrandma

May 22, 2008 11:24 PM | Link to this

The students at the root of this issue have only completed PART of the requirements for graduation. It isn’t as if the students weren’t aware of the test they must pass PRIOR to graduation. Everyone else managed to pass the test, so why should allowances be made for the lazy few? The parents are doing them no favors by allowing them to blame others for their own shortcomings.

By Graduate Mom

May 22, 2008 11:15 PM | Link to this

My Daughter is graduating from high school this year. She was diagonosed with a learning disability in the 5th grade. With hard work, she was able to pass all of her OGT’s on the first try. If you are truly motivated. You can do it. It’s easy to blame others. Shame on the districts that let students march that haven’t passed the requirements. How do you think that makes the students that worked hard and earned it feel.

By Score to pass

May 22, 2008 10:18 PM | Link to this

Deb: you are correct about the low percentage needed to “pass”. In math, for example, if you get about 40% of the available points, you pass. Everyone else, please understand, teachers, administrators and volunteers offer HOURS AND HOURS of extra help for students who need it. Unfortunately, MOST students who need help simply don’t bother. I feel for all of the students who hoped to march but can’t… but the hard truth is, they didn’t qualify.

By Get With It, People!

May 22, 2008 8:09 PM | Link to this

It isn’t like learning, high school, graduation, and graduation tests (or the old 9th grade proficiency tests)are new concepts. I know thay they have all been around awhile and how can a student and more importantly, a students parents not see this train wreck coming? If your son or daughter failed the first two of the 5 total opportunities given, you as a parent should take action then — instead of now in a court of law. If only Mr. Domaneck had spent this much time and effort with his daughter a few years ago instead of now with a lawsuit, the outcome would probably be much different.

By Glenn Kiefer

May 22, 2008 7:57 PM | Link to this

Those who participate in the gradation ceremony are (or should be) those who have met the requirements to graduate, which pursuant to Ohio rules, are passing the Ohio graduation test and passing 21 credits. A student who has not met these requirements at one graduation exercise can participate in a subsequent exercise once the student meets the state’s requirements. Part of learning about adulthood is coming to understand that before you enjoy a privilege you must earn that right by meeting the eatablished requirements that apply equally to everyone.

By Linda

May 22, 2008 7:51 PM | Link to this

the state requirement for graduation from high school is very clear to me. you obtain your required credits and pass all parts of the OGT. I think all school districts in ohio should follow that rule, no exceptions. I have had 4 children graduate from dayton public schools passing the OGT requirement with no problems. I as a parent made sure they all got them out of the way early in their high school years. they were in the 8th and 9th grades. make it your and your childs main focus right away. dont wait till the last year of school. I know parents are upset, but it’s not fair to take it out on the 2008 graduates that will be recieving their diplomas. Let those students march in peace and let us all be happy for them. I have one more child in the 11th grade at Thurgood Marshall High School, and yes I made sure she got hers OGT out of the way in the 9th grade too. I do have 1 more suggestion. please take the last test for the OGT in the senior year away. the test results are to close to graduation time, and as you see the results can be quite devastating for families.

By Karen

May 22, 2008 7:09 PM | Link to this

If the requirements are not met they should not be allowed to graduate period.

By JoeSmith

May 22, 2008 6:52 PM | Link to this

How hard is it people? The requirements are so many credits and pass the test. You didnt pass, you dont walk. Its not fair to the people that met the requirements that those that didnt get to walk as well.

By Lean Thinking

May 22, 2008 6:31 PM | Link to this

Too bad the parents didn’t spend half as much time tutoring thier child as they have fussing about it. Hey, if they were concerned about their child being damaged by this failure…. I wonder who the kid feels about publishing it all over the newspaper?

By deb

May 22, 2008 6:19 PM | Link to this

I hope the judge upholds Dayton’s policy and the kids don’t get to march…If you can’t maintain a 2.5 avg(only a C avg) and attend school 97% of the year(miss only 6 days of school), then you should not be allowed the exemption. Take advantage of all the programs out there - go to F&S and buy the flash cards to help you study and do what everyone else does - STUDY HARD!! My understanding is that a passing score is 50%(I think…please someone correct if it’s not right..)Where else do you get that low of a score & still pass????

By Stick to your principles

May 22, 2008 6:13 PM | Link to this

While it may not be fair to withhold commencement from students who haven’t passed the OGT, the district would be foolish to change. The whole point of the Tests are to make a diplome MEAN something. The OGT helps do that. No, it’s not totally fair, but as the post illustrates, there are alternative assessments. Perhaps if the parent who went to court today had spent as much time helping his daughter with her schoolwork as grandstanding before a judge, she might have passed the tests.

By sarah

May 22, 2008 5:50 PM | Link to this

If students attend classes regularly, pay attention, do their homework, and ask the teacher for extra help if they don’t understand, they WILL pass the tests. We need to quit worrying about the students’ delicate sensitivities and worry instead about whether they’re actually learning anything. As a student in the Dayton schools in the 1950’s and 1960’s, I know that we got good educations. As a teacher in Dayton Public Schools in the 1970’s, I know that the new concept of “students’ rights” was the beginning of the slippery slope of lack of standards with more concern about students’ self-esteem over pride of accomplishment. This is NOT progress. If the student hasn’t met ALL the graduation requirements, he/she does NOT graduate - - - PERIOD!