Welcome to the Ohio Test Prep Teachers' Lounge!
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Thanks for using Ohio Test Prep!  This website began in 2005 as little more than an easy-to-recall webpage that linked to a handful of online practice tests I created for the OGT.  Over the years, Ohio Test Prep has evolved into a popular review tool, first for the OGT, and now for all of Ohio's State Tests (AIR) in Social Studies.  With engaging YouTube videos, interactive games, and technology-enhanced assignments, Ohio Test Prep provides hours of digital learning for blended and flipped classrooms.

​Below I have answered some FAQs about our Ohio Test Prep. 
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Follow Ohio Test Prep Collections on Edcite

Who created Ohio Test Prep?

  • Ohio Test Prep was created by me, Matt Doran, a social studies educator and curriculum specialist with seventeen years experience in urban public education in Ohio.  I have a B.A. in history and M.Ed. in Social Studies Education from The Ohio State University.  My colleague, Lynda Ray, created the review guides and games for Social Studies 4. Ohio Test Prep is not affiliated with any company or organization.  
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Is Ohio Test Prep free?

  • Yes. There is absolutely no cost for anything on Ohio Test Prep, and I receive absolutely no money from any user.  The domain name and website builder subscription are maintained at personal cost by me. 
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Who owns the content?

  • I own the website, but that's about it.  I claim no copyright to anything here. ​ The videos are embedded from YouTube and owned by the individual users. I created the test items and assessments in Edcite and published them to the public library, so I consider them public domain.  This site is intended to be freely used by Ohio educators and students to prepare for social studies state tests.  
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How are the test items in the Edcite mastery assessments developed?

  • I use three approaches to writing test items: 1) Developing questions from scratch using the content statements, elaborations, and test specs provided by ODE;  2) Writing items that are parallel to the released test questions;  and 3) Using public domain questions that align with Ohio standards, primary from the released NAEP questions.  I have been writing test questions for districtwide quarterly, midterm, and final exams for twelve years.  I have participated in multi-day training provided by AIR and have a thick notebook of guidelines from AIR on assessment development.  That certainly doesn't mean my questions are perfect! Far from it.  I am a small team, and I write many questions over a short period (often at night), which means I am especially prone to human error.  See my note below about letting me know if you find typos and errors.  
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When will _____ be ready? 

  • Hopefully, soon.  It's hard to predict precise timelines.  I work on the website and assessments as time permits, and often time doesn't permit for extended blocks.  But, I am getting there.  As I become more Edcite savvy, the assessments will evolve as well.  
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Our school blocks YouTube. Can you add the videos directly to Ohio Test Prep?

  • Unfortunately, no.  As I indicated above, I do not own the videos; they are embedded from third parties on YouTube.  Some day, maybe I will create my own videos, but that's probably at least a few years away.  This is also a good time to point out that I can't really do anything about mistakes and errors in the videos. If there are serious problems with particular videos, I will remove and/or replace them. Also, I am in the process of updating the video embedding code, so that no "related videos" appear at the end of the videos, since those videos are often not especially useful. 

    On another note, you may want to talk with your district administrators about lifting YouTube restrictions.  Our district previously had a highly restrictive policy that blocked nearly all social media, but has recently reversed course to open up the power the Internet.
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I found a broken link or mistake in one of the Ohio Test Prep assessments. Can you fix that?

  • Yes, I can fix that! Sometimes third party website links change and videos disappear from YouTube.  I can remove broken links and look for new ones.  And, I am certainly prone to typos and errors in creating questions.  Sometimes I catch my own errors, but other times I read what is supposed to be there.  Thank you in advance for catching those mistakes!  Note also that you copy any of the questions and assignments in Edcite to your own account and modify the questions.  
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My students have taken the Ohio Test Prep assessments on Edcite. How can I view the results?

  • The Edcite assessments on Ohio Test Prep are linked to my Edcite account and only intended for student practice.  Students can view the results of the multiple choice and graphic response items, but the constructed response items will not be graded.  If you want to use these assessments to collect classroom data, you can copy the assignments from the Ohio Test Prep Edcite Collection to your personal account.  Once the assignments are in your account, you can assignment them to your students with a quick assign URL. 
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Who do I contact for support at Edcite?

  • I have found Edcite's support team to be helpful.  You can submit technical problems through the Feedback button (lower right hand corner) on Edcite.  
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