Columbus, OH – Greg R. Lawson, a research fellow at The Buckeye Institute, testified Wednesday (see full text below or download a PDF) before the Ohio Senate Finance Subcommittee on Primary and Secondary Education on the graduation requirements proposal offered by Ohio Excels, the Alliance for High Quality Education, and the Fordham Institute.

In his testimony, Lawson reiterated that “The Buckeye Institute does not believe that watering down graduation requirements will help students achieve greater future success, but we do generally agree with the joint proposal offered by Ohio Excels, the Alliance for High Quality Education, and the Fordham Institute regarding graduation requirements.”

Lawson—as he did in previous testimony presented to the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Primary and Secondary Education—praised recommendations in the proposal to reduce “some of the testing requirements that have burdened teachers and created a teach-to-the-test mentality,” and he offered words of support regarding the increased emphasis on other pathways for graduation including career, technical, and apprenticeship programs.

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Interested Party Testimony on House Bill 166
Before the Ohio Senate Finance Subcommittee on Primary and Secondary Education

Greg R. Lawson, Research Fellow
The Buckeye Institute
May 22, 2019

Chair Lehner, Vice Chair Terhar, Ranking Member Fedor and members of the Education Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today on graduation requirements.

My name is Greg R. Lawson, I am a research fellow at The Buckeye Institute, an independent research and educational institution—a think tank—whose mission is to advance free-market public policy in the states.

Many of you were present when I offered testimony last Thursday before the Finance subcommittee on primary and secondary education, so I will not read that entire testimony again.

I do however, want to reiterate that The Buckeye Institute does not believe that watering down graduation requirements will help students achieve greater future success, but we do generally agree with the joint proposal offered by Ohio Excels, the Alliance for High Quality Education, and the Fordham Institute regarding graduation requirements. This Committee is already familiar with the joint proposal’s details, so it suffices to say that we applaud the flexibility that may be created by reducing some of the testing requirements that have burdened teachers and created a teach-to-the-test mentality. We also support the joint proposal’s plan to offer other career, technical, and apprenticeship pathways for graduation. Although not perfect, the joint proposal does improve upon the status quo and is vastly superior to some of the other proposals currently being circulated.

Given the massive sums of taxpayer dollars we spend on education in Ohio, we should not expect less of our students, teachers, and administrators by reducing accountability and lowering graduation requirements. Ohio should not choose the path of low expectations.

Thank you again for the opportunity to testify today. I am happy to answer any questions that the Committee may have at this time.

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