Ohio Develops Technology Academic Content Standards: Combining Technological Literacy with Computer and Multimedia Literacy and Informational Literacy (2004)

Background The development of the Ohio Technology Academic Content Standards is a high point on a long road of curriculum revision in Ohio. Four political paths and three sets of standards from national professional associations came together to form the most current section of that road dealing with technology. Curricula are revised and updated periodically. Ohio implemented the previous curriculum revision in 1984. The Ohio Department of Education (ODE), under the supervision of the Ohio Board of Education (OBE), undertook a new round of curriculum revisions in the 1990s. The initial process was guided by William Spady's (1994) model of outcome-based education. Opposed to this curriculum development model, the Ohio Legislature passed a set of graduation requirements based on credits, and required the ODE to stop its curriculum efforts. In 1997, it enacted Senate Bill 1/House Resolution 1, which prescribed a method for the development of Academic Content Standards in the areas of English, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Foreign Language, Arts, and Technology. The Legislature also retained the final say in approving all of the academic content standards developed. A timetable was also included in the legislation, with the Academic Content Standards for Foreign Language, Arts, and Technology being in the final batch developed and only to be started after the others were approved. Earlier, Ohio had joined the national movement for high-stakes testing. Senate Bill 1/House Resolution 1 modified Ohio's testing regimen. Both versions of the high-stakes testing program preceded the development of the Academic Content Standards. Schools have had a problem designing their curricula to effectively meet the needs of students since there was no direct link between publicly developed curriculum standards and the tests. A third political element of the process was the Governor's Commission for Student Success. This was a broad-based group of parents, school personnel, politicians, and community members that recommended that the Academic Content Standards be developmentally appropriate and built on the best of what was being done in Ohio and around the country. The Ohio Legislature acted upon the Commission's recommendations in Amended Substitute Senate Bill 1 that the Governor signed into law on June 12, 2001. The fourth path to the standards evolved from the fact that, throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Ohio's colleges and universities developed their own sets of admission standards that were different from the graduation standards required by the OBE. There was hope that in the development of the Academic Content Standards there could be a greater alignment with the admission standards. A joint council of the Ohio Board of Regents and the Ohio Board of Education was created. The Joint Council oversaw the development of the Academic Content Standards. The Process The process used for developing each of the Academic Content Standards started with the identification of an advisory committee to determine what needed to be included in each of the Academic Content Standards. Then a writing team was identified to develop standards and benchmarks. After a first draft was created, professional organizations were invited to comment. A second draft was produced, taking into account the comments. This draft was released online and in regional public meetings. Comments were again used to improve the Academic Content Standards. A final round of public comment was combined with recommendations from the Ohio Board of Education to produce the Academic Content Standards presented to Ohio Board of Education for approval. After the approval, a second writing team was given the task of fleshing out the standards through model curriculum and assessment guidelines. The Advisory Stage The advisory committee of 38 members was charged with determining the scope of the technology standards. …