Scores trickling in from CRCT re-tests

State officials say they will soon determine how Georgia eighth graders performed on standardized tests in a second try after failing the first time.

These results are important because another failing grade means the eighth graders will be held back.

Scores from those re-tests are starting to trickle in to individual school systems.

About 40 percent of eighth graders in Georgia had failed the math portion on the first try.

Education officials say that's because this year's test was harder than in years past. However, some parents and other critics say teachers were not adequately trained to prepare students for the tests.

The tests measure how well students are mastering concepts taught in the classroom.

The high failure rate caused a surge in the number of students attending remedial summer school classes this year.

State officials will release the results once they hear from all of the school systems in Georgia.

Summer school begins for failed CRCT-students

In some Georgia counties, today begins special summer school class instruction for hundreds of students who failed portions of the Criterion Referenced Competency Test, or CRCT’s. Over the next couple of weeks, students who will need to re-test on the CRCT’s will be heading to summer school classes in counties across the state.

Top state school official has concern over recent test scores

In the wake of poor test results that have come-in for some Georgia students, the state's top school official released a statement Monday to respond. The results are unofficial, but preliminary results for 6th and 7th graders tested on the social studies Criterion Referenced Competency Test show a pass-rate of 20 to 30 percent. For 8th graders tested in math, the unofficial results show that around 40-percent of students failed. State schools Superintendent Kathy Cox says the dip in math results is not unexpected, as standards have been raised. The state will release official results of the CRCT's next month.

More students passing state tests

Georgia students are doing better on state-mandated reading and math tests. The Department of Education released statewide numbers today … saying thousands more students are passing the Criterion Referenced Competency Tests. All students up through eighth grade take the tests. Third-, fifth- and eighth graders must pass them to move to the next grade.