State officials decided not to count scores on a new schools achievement test in school promotion decisions for the second straight year, but high school students won’t get the same break students in elementary and middle grades got.
High school students must take the new “Milestones” end-of-course standardized test as their final exam in core subjects, and the score counts for 20 percent of the grade, according to state law.
In elementary and middle school, students are required to take Milestones achievement tests in reading and math. Third-graders must achieve a minimum reading score to go on to fourth grade, and students in fifth and eighth grades must score above a minimum in both reading and math, according to state law.
The state Board of Education voted last week that the scores wouldn’t count for promotion decisions after many schools complained of problems linking up and staying linked up to the testing servers.
“During this year’s administration of the Georgia Milestones EOG tests, some local school districts reported technology-related interruptions of online testing,” according to a Georgia Department of Education press release. “While some of these events were short-term and quickly resolved, with minimal impact on student experiences, others required more extensive technical support. The GaDOE believes that further analysis of the possible impacts of these interruptions is warranted prior to the release of student scores, given the stakes involved for students.”
Last year’s testing was also plagued with computer connection problems as the state began a phased transition from students taking tests on paper to digital, internet-based tests.
The end-of-course testing hasn’t been as problematic as the end-of-grade testing, however, said Georgia Department of Education spokesman Matt Cardoza.
“At this point, we have not had any statewide issues,” Cardoza said in an email this week.
A week into Clarke County schools’ end-of-course testing, officials there hadn’t seen any systematic problems, either.
“We began EOC testing on May 2 and to this date, we have had minimal connectivity issues,” said Jarboe on Wednesday. “Most issues so far have been easily resolvable and very similar to EOC testing in years prior to the Milestones implementation. Clarke County has been using online testing for high school end-of-course assessments for eight years, and any high school issues we have had have been no different than in past years.”
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