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Bill

HB 369

Change diagnostic assessments for grades kindergarten through 3

136th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Sarah Fowler Arthur and 1 co-sponsor

Ohio bill modifying K-3 diagnostic assessment requirements to change which early literacy and academic screening tests schools must administer statewide.

Referred to committee
#education #primaryandsecondaryeducation
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Bill Summary · HB 369

Legislative bill overview

HB 369 modifies the diagnostic assessment requirements for elementary students in kindergarten through 3rd grade in Ohio. The bill changes which assessments schools must administer and potentially how results are used to identify students needing academic intervention or special education services. The specific modifications would alter the testing framework currently mandated for early elementary grades.

Why is this important

Early diagnostic assessments significantly influence special education referrals, intervention resource allocation, and individual student educational trajectories. Changes to these requirements affect both how schools identify struggling readers (particularly relevant given Ohio's reading guarantee laws) and how teachers allocate instructional time. This impacts roughly 400,000+ students annually across Ohio's K-3 population.

Potential points of contention

  • Assessment burden vs. instructional time: Opponents may argue changes reduce necessary diagnostic data; supporters may counter that excessive testing pulls instructional minutes from actual teaching
  • Special education identification equity: Modifications could affect how fairly students from different demographic groups are identified for services, with concerns about both over- and under-identification
  • Implementation consistency: Schools may struggle with transition timelines and unclear guidance on which assessments qualify as acceptable replacements under the new framework

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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