Computer scoring does students disservice
I was appalled to discover that the third-grade English language arts/writing section of Ohio’s state test was evaluated by a computer programmed to determine the quality of their writing (Feb. 10 Dispatch article). Perhaps a human reader or a properly programmed computer would have been better prepared to incorporate the criteria for third-grade writing established in Ohio’s Learning Standards for English Language Arts adopted by the Ohio Department of Education in 2017.
Grade 3 writing standard 3.1 states that students are to “write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.” Standard 3.1a. states that students are to “introduce the topic or text they are writing about, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure that lists reasons.” This is exactly what students were doing when they restated their question into their answer and were given a zero score for plagiarism by the computer.
The reading standard says that students are to “ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.” When complying with this standard students would again be judged by the computer to be plagiarists and given a zero score.
Someone should share these standards with Jon Cohen, the American Institutes for Research’s president of assessment, so that Ohio’s students are being judged by the standards that they are being taught to attain as readers and writers.
Brittany Halpin of the Ohio Department of Education justified the use of the computer scoring with her statement that “machine scoring applies the scoring rules in the exact same way across all students.” If you cross-reference the research of Les Perelman, a former Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor, you will find the incoherent responses that are found acceptable by computer scoring.
After reviewing the Ohio’s State Test Opinion Writing Rubric, Grades 3-5 offered by the state to assist teachers in preparing their students, one will not find any reference to plagiarism. The rubric does refer to a zero score for purpose, focus, and organization if the writer “includes only a restatement of the stem.” A zero score for evidence and elaboration would be awarded if the writer provides “no evidence related to the topic or the passages and may include only direct copy of part of the reading selection.” (http://oh.portal. airast.org/ost.stml)
I share the concern that Machelle Kline, the district’s chief accountability officer, has for the success of our students, especially the 8-year-old third-graders who were the “guinea pigs” for Ohio’s implementation of computer scoring for their writing performance.
These performances that the state uses to judge the quality of our teachers’ capabilities and the quality of our educational institutions are now under the control of an inadequately programmed computer.
Readers should let Rep. Andrew Brenner, chairman of the House Education Committee and the members of the State Board of Education know how they feel about the use of computers in scoring Ohio students’ writing tests.
Sharon Kay Williamson Retired reading specialist Baltimore Upper Arlington