| This year the Ohio Graduation Test will have its first | | | | real problem. How do they study for and pass a test |
| profound impact on graduating seniors in Ohio's school | | | | that determines their future success, and indeed if |
| districts. For the first time, high school students who | | | | they see Miss Pritchet in English again next year or |
| do not pass the test will not be conferred a diploma, | | | | walk the quad at college thinking of a major. |
| ending the long standing, "you can catch-up in college" | | | | There are paper study guides sold on Amazon, |
| mentality. | | | | including one popular guide published by Barron's. and |
| To be sure, the remedial course designations at | | | | several independent companies offer ebooks, where |
| Ohio's colleges and universities will continue to meet | | | | a student must download a PDF file and print out |
| the need of the roughly 65% of high school students | | | | pages. |
| who choose to attend post secondary education, but | | | | MaxSkill offers OGT practice Software on CD |
| for those who simply need the high school sheep | | | | available for Windows computers. |
| skin, it has just become much harder to receive. | | | | Paper Books are not interactive. While eBooks offer |
| The Ohio Achievement Test or Graduation Test as it | | | | the immediate gratification of receiving a product |
| has become known, will have a marked impact on | | | | immediately through a download, eBooks are often |
| the way Ohio teachers and students structure the | | | | padded artificially by publishers so as to increase the |
| critical years before high school commencement. For | | | | page length of the ebook. This means a busy |
| a numbers of years, high school teachers have | | | | student must use extra inkjet ink or pay extra |
| voiced concern that they have had to alter their | | | | printout charges at Kinko's for pages that are |
| teaching style and eliminate numerous real life courses | | | | unneeded. |
| in favor of only those topics that may appear on the | | | | Online practice tools are both interactive and available |
| Ohio Graduation Test or OGT. To be fair, OGT's new | | | | immediately to busy students. There are two main |
| requirements have changed the face of education in | | | | online practice tools for the OGT. and StudyIsland. |
| Ohio and many parents and teachers would argue | | | | Many education entities have tried, with little success, |
| that it has for the better. | | | | to create a practice test that enables students at |
| While the rest of the world has moved forward in | | | | every level to work throughout the school year and |
| establishing education standards, the United States | | | | achieve their potential when the actual test is |
| has lagged behind, preferring to allow local school | | | | attempted. Unfortunately, few in this area have |
| districts to personalize their education and determine | | | | succeeded save two or three. |
| which critical areas must have the most focus. With | | | | Among this group of highly specialized companies one |
| the advent of No Child Left Behind and State and | | | | shines above the rest. It is the only entity that has |
| National Standards, the Ohio Graduation Test has | | | | been actually reviewed by those Ohio educators who |
| become the critical harbinger in determining what has | | | | consulted with the Ohio Department of Education on |
| been taught and what has been learned in Ohio's high | | | | the creation of the actual OGT test. |
| schools. | | | | The team at IQ-ity has created the only online |
| Critics would put forward that these new standards | | | | practice test specifically designed for Ohio students |
| represent the homogenization of education, while | | | | by Ohio educators with years of experience in online |
| proponents argue that there finally is a consistent set | | | | education. It is the only scientific and |
| of standards within which American children are | | | | intelligence-based test for educational assessment, |
| required to achieve. | | | | and it aligns with state benchmarks and grade level |
| How then is the most efficient way to study for | | | | indicators. |
| success? | | | | Student's lives today revolve around the internet. |
| This critical question is answered where 90% of | | | | They enjoy socializing and working online. Colleges |
| Americans now seek information, the Internet. And | | | | and Universities are capitalizing on this trend by |
| many entities have tried and failed to create a | | | | offering more courses online and the IQ-ity Ohio |
| comprehensive online practice test solution. | | | | Graduation Practice Test is an extension of what |
| While the debate is likely to continue for years to | | | | awaits Ohio's future scholars. |
| come, the students of 2006 are faced with a very | | | | |