State officials release district, school-level Georgia Milestones results

State Schools Superintendent Richard Woods has admitted the CRCT had a few of the lowest standards in the country.

The Georgia Milestones test replaces the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) that were taken until the 2013-14 school year. In math, 60 percent of all Georgia students scored as beginning or developing learners.

Fourth-grade math (52.3 to 39).

Sixth-grade math (46.2 to 35). “They will elevate the type of instruction given the type of demands that we have now”, said Folasade Oladele, Chief Academic Officer for Clayton County Public Schools.

For high school students, the Milestones End of Course tests are the final exams for ninth-grade literature, American literature, biology, economics, physical science, coordinate algebra and analytic geometry, and US history. “That doesn’t mean these scores are where we want them to be. Later, we will begin viewing subgroup data to make certain all groups are achieving”.

In science, 35 percent of Bulloch third-graders met the standard as tested, compared to 34 percent statewide.

-Proficient Learners: These students demonstrate proficiency in the knowledge and skills necessary for this course of learning, as specified in Georgia’s content standards. “The consistency in implementation resulted in positive outcomes for these teachers and students”.

Dig deeper into the test results and you will see the shocking drop in testing scores. Eighty percent passed math.

Asked how the district is addressing this concern, Walton wrote, “We have created a focus area for improvement”. The agreed upon instructional practices gained from professional learning are monitored through observations and formative data. “This occurred in all subject areas for both the End-of-Grade exams and End-of-Course exams”. McCurry was principal of Cairo High School before ChattCo’s board hired him in August 2014.

This Milestones test ranks students into the four categories for the assessment.

Unlike the CRCT and EOCT, the Georgia Milestones Assessments measure student performance using four levels: Beginning Learner, Developing Learner, Proficient Learner, and Distinguished Learner.

In more than half of the tested grades, local students outperformed the state. The hope for the Milestones is they measure student progress as opposed to simply a test score.

The tests were given in April and the preliminary scores, first expected to be out in October, are created to reflect the state’s first-year comprehensive testing system for third graders through high school.

In addition to having a more rigorous curriculum, the state’s new accountability tests are tougher. The assessment of writing is part of the English language arts test.

The Milestones renamed achievement levels from the former labels of “does not meets”, “meets”, and “exceeds” expectations.

The lowest level is for beginning learners who need substantial academic support to be prepared for the next grade level to be on college and career ready track. The students need additional academic support to ensure success in the next grade level or course and to be on track for college and career readiness. These students are prepared for the next grade level or course and are on track for college or career readiness.

Almost two-thirds (63.9 percent) of students in grades 3-8 scored at Developing, Proficient or Distinguished Learner levels on the EOG Milestones for Mathematics. Statewide, the combined proficient and distinguished rates were 39 percent in English, 38 percent in math, 36 percent in science and 29 percent in social studies. The state is evaluating whether changes should be made to the test next year.

Mark Rice, 706-576-6272. Follow him on Twitter@MarkRiceLE.

At the high school level, DCSS had several high schools test at or above the state average when it comes to percentage of students who tested above the “Developing Learning” category.

Note: The Georgia Department of Education released the state averages rounded to the nearest whole number and the district averages rounded to tenths. High school students fared better in USA history (25.6 percent Beginning Learners); ninth-grade literature (20.8 percent); and American literature (25.1 percent).