The week following spring break students will be taking the new Georgia Milestones test, which replaces the CRCT. Below is some basic information about Milestones from the Dept. of Ed. website:
The Georgia Milestones Assessment
System (Georgia Milestones) is a comprehensive summative assessment program
spanning grades 3 through high school. Georgia Milestones measures how
well students have learned the knowledge and skills outlined in the state-adopted
content standards in language arts, mathematics, science, and social
studies. Students in grades 3 through 8 will take an end-of-grade
assessment in each content area, while high school students will take an
end-of-course assessment for each of the eight courses designated by the State
Board of Education.
Features the Georgia Milestone
Assessment System include:
- open-ended (constructed-response) items in language arts and mathematics (all grades and courses);
- a writing component (in response to passages read by students) at every grade level and course within the language arts assessment;
- norm-referenced items in all content areas and courses, to complement the criterion-referenced information and to provide a national comparison; and
- transition to online administration over time, with online administration considered the primary mode of administration and paper-pencil as back-up until the transition is complete.
What
is the purpose of Georgia Milestones?
The Georgia Milestones Assessment
System is designed to provide information about how well students are mastering
the state-adopted content standards in the core content areas of language arts,
mathematics, science, and social studies. Importantly, Georgia Milestones
is designed to provide students with critical information about their own
achievement and their readiness for their next level of learning – be it the
next grade, the next course, or endeavor (college or career). Informing
parents, educators, and the public about how well students are learning
important content is an essential aspect of any educational assessment and
accountability system. Parents, the public, and policy makers, including
local school districts and boards of education, can use the results as a
barometer of the quality of educational opportunity provided throughout the
state of Georgia. As such, Georgia Milestones serves as a key component
of the state’s accountability system – the College and Career Ready
Performance Index (CCRPI).
What content areas and grade levels are tested?
Students in grades 3 through 8 will
take an end-of-grade assessment in the content areas of language arts,
mathematics, science, social studies. These tests are administered
towards the end of the school year, typically in April or early May. Each
school district selects a local testing window from within the state designated
time frame to administer the end-of-grade measures.
Middle school students who are
enrolled in one or more of these courses will also take the end-of-course
measure. The end-of-course measures are administered at the completion of
the course, regardless of the grade level. These measures serve as the
final exam for the course, and contribute 20% to the student’s final course
grade. Each school district selects a local testing window, based on
their local school calendar, from within the state-designated testing window.
