CRCT Scores Show Improvement

Test scores for Georgia’s elementary and middle school students improved in all areas this year, but most dramatically in the crucial subjects of mathematics and science. Students posted gains on all 14 of the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) in mathematics and science, all of which are aligned to Georgia’s more rigorous curriculum. The biggest one-year gain on any of the CRCTs was in eighth-grade math: The pass rate was 70 percent, an increase of eight percentage points.

The CRCTs are curriculum-based tests given to students in grades 1-8 in the subjects of reading, English language arts, mathematics and – in grades 3-8 – science and social studies. As Georgia has rolled out its new curriculum, the Georgia Performance Standards, more rigorous tests have been created and administered.

This year, for the first time, all the CRCTs are aligned to the new curriculum. The statewide results are reported in three categories – the percentage of students that did not meet standards, met standards or exceeded standards.

Other highlights from the 2009 CRCT report include:

- A five (5) percentage point jump in the pass rate for science in grades 3 and 5. In third grade, 80 percent of the students met or exceeded standards on the science CRCT and in fifth grade 76 percent.

- Reading and English language arts performance remained high and improved in almost every grade, with 89 percent of seventh-graders meeting standards on both tests. In sixth-grade, the pass rate was 90 percent in reading and 91 percent in English.

- This is the first year students in grades 3-5 took the social studies CRCT aligned to the new curriculum. The pass rate was over 70 percent for each grade.

You can find more information on the latest CRCT statistics by visiting the Georgia Department of Education's website at: http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/

Source: GA Department of Education

Graduation Test Pass Rates Surge

Georgia more than doubled the rate of high school students passing their second attempt at the state's science and social studies graduation tests this year. Data released from the state Department of Education on Monday shows that nearly 1,400 students passed the exam this year, or 68 percent of the students who took it. That's compared to the 27 percent who passed the social studies retest and the 29 percent who passed the science retest last year. A new program that gives students who failed the tests an extra two weeks of intensive study before they try again helped boost the rate. Georgia students must pass every section of the high school graduation test - English language arts, mathematics, science, social studies writing - to graduate.

(Associated Press)

School Board Approves Class Size Increase

The state's public schools can add more students to their classes under a measure passed by the state school board today. The board unanimously passed a temporary one-year boost to the state-mandated class size limit. The move is designed to help Georgia's 180 school districts save up to $200-million on the cost for hiring new teachers, given declining state funding.

The statewide waiver will add two students to most classes up through eighth grade for the 2009-10 school year. It does not apply to special education, English as a second language, fine arts and foreign language classrooms. The number of students in core high school classes will not change--remaining at 32 students.

The school Board today also approved Gwinnett County as the first district in Georgia to take advantage of "flexibility contracts". The move allows the largest district in Georgia to operate free of most state education laws and implement new methods for improving student achievement.

State Ed Board to approve new social studies curriculum

Today, the state school board is expected to approve a new curriculum for social studies. Education officials hope the revisions will help turn-the-tide on the more than 70-percent failure rate of 6th and 7th graders last year. Over the summer, on-line public comment was taken on the proposed update. Dana Tofig with the Department of Education:

"Some people may say, 'well, the school year has begun and how can you introduce new standards when the school year has begun?'. These standards aren't so radically different. It's a lot of the same material covered in the 6th and 7th grade before...it's just a little more precise".

Training on the new material for teachers begins later this month.

Meanwhile, numbers in from summer re-testing on the math portion of the CRCT show another 19,000 rising high school freshmen passed. That improved the statewide pass-rate from 62, to 77-percent for the year.

Revised social studies curriculum set for approval

State education officials hope approval of a new social studies curriculum will turn the trend of high failure rates in future re-testing of Georgia middle schoolers.

Thursday, Georgia'school board is expected to approve a new curriculum for 6th and 7th graders. The hope is students will fare much better than last year’s failure rate of over 70-percent.

The revised curriculum was open to public comment earlier this summer. Education officials say the responses came mainly from teachers, and opinions spurred some small changes.

Dana Tofig with the Department of Education says now the training of teachers on the new social studies material will begin:

"Some people may say, ‘well, the school year has begun and how can you introduce new standards when the school year has begun?’...but, these standards aren’t so radically different. It’s a lot of the same material covered in the 6th and 7th grade before…it’s just a little more precise".

Tofig also noted just-released results of ACT scores across the nation. Georgia moved-up three spots to 41st in the country. However, over 60-percent of high school seniors still choose to take the SAT. Those results come out later this month.

Education board to discuss budget cuts

The state’s budget troubles will force Georgia’s school board to meet this week to figure how to deal with pending education cuts. The state Department of Education will meet and try to come up with a plan to cut up to 171-million dollars from the state K-12 budget. For Georgia as a whole, Governor Sonny Perdue has called for all agencies to cut six-percent from its budgets, in trying to deal with lagging state revenues and an expected 1.6 billion dollar shortfall.

New state social studies curriculum open for public comment

The Georgia Department of Education is collecting public comments on changes to the state’s social studies curriculum. This after thousands of students failed a state-mandated exam this year, the CRCT.

State schools Superintendent Kathy Cox threw out the results after discovering 70-80 percent of sixth and seventh graders failed the test.

Cox pointed to a disconnect between test questions and what was being taught, and called for a revamping of the state’s curriculum. That revised curriculum is open for on-line public comment until August 11.

A new curriculum will take effect in 2008-2009 school year; however, the CRCT in spring 2009 won’t count. They will serve as a pilot test.

HOPE scholars receive remediation

A new study reports that one in ten recipients of the HOPE scholarship need remedial help. The study reported in the Macon Telegraph says despite earning B averages in high school, 12 percent of college freshman who got the HOPE scholarship in 2006, received learning support during their first year of college.

An official of the Georgia Department of Education says part of the blame because the old curriculum was too broad and vague. An overhaul to the state’s K through 12 education curriculum emphasizes reading and math- two subjects where students receive remediation.

Another reform is a new graduation requirement that eliminates different diploma tracks, such as college-prep and technology/career prep. Starting this Fall, all incoming ninth graders will be on the same track to receive a diploma with college-prep requirements.

Georgia schools begin destroying suspect beef

Georgia’s Department of Education today notified 37 school systems to begin destroying suspected bad beef. This follows the federal nationwide recall of more than 140-million pounds of meat.

On Sunday, federal agriculture officials recalled beef processed at a California-slaughterhouse under investigation for animal abuse. The concern is over beef from cattle that showed signs of sickness. Officials stress no illnesses in people have been reported, and the health threat is small.

Officials say around 37 million pounds of beef went to schools across the country, with most of the meat probably already eaten. Some of the meat made it into Georgia school systems--products that used over 350-thousand pounds of the beef.

State education officials say they’ve received no reports of illness relating to the school lunch program. They say schools would be reimbursed for the cost of the destroyed beef.