I recently watched a documentary about an urban school district and its efforts to turnaround its lowest-achieving schools. I was bothered by the amount of pressure one principal put on his students to pass their state assessments so his building could receive a better grade on its state report card.

I reflected on that documentary this week as the Ohio Department of Education was preparing to release preliminary scores from last spring's state tests in math, English language arts, science and social studies. I share the concern of many educators that this one-time snapshot - taken many months ago - fails to accurately define the success of our young people, our teachers and our schools.

Here in Shaker Heights, all of our students at every grade level experience the rigorous International Baccalaureate philosophy that prepares young people for college, career and life. We are only one of eight districts in the nation where that is the case. This year, we raised our graduation rate from 89 percent to 93 percent. Our ACT and SAT scores are significantly above national averages. In 2015, our graduates were accepted to 233 colleges and universities throughout the world. Beginning in the first grade, all our students study Mandarin Chinese. All students in 5th and 6th grades learn to play a musical instrument. We offer 21 Advanced Placement courses and 25 International Baccalaureate courses, and we have nationally and internationally recognized music and fine arts programs.

Sadly, little of the rigorous and holistic education we offer is reflected in a single score from a one-size-fits-all approach.

Please understand that I believe in the value of both formative and summative assessments as tools to provide our students with opportunities to demonstrate mastery and growth, and to allow teachers to make informed decisions about instruction. The practice of states selecting one form of assessment without alternative or multiple versions for all students is a misuse of the assessment tool.

Likewise, I support the Common Core State Standards as a way of combating the inequities and inequalities that have historically plagued our education system. Those standards can and should continue to be the expectations for students to master each year, but states should provide multiple ways of demonstrating mastery through diverse assessments: paper-and-pencil, online multiple choice, open-ended questions, Socratic seminars, personal projects or workforce application.

I commend the Obama administration for making education one of our nation's top priorities, and I was cheered when the president recently said he is open to allow educators from across the country to collaborate and develop assessments schools can use to determine student progress.

It is interesting that we in education consistently use the word "differentiation" when it comes to meeting students where they are and providing them the instruction they need to succeed. However, we are not practicing differentiation when it comes to assessing those very same students.

A diverse approach to assessment is the only way to ensure that our next generation of high school graduates are critical thinkers, open-minded, selfless, and prepared to contribute to as global citizens.