High School Grad Test Scores Rise

The percentage of Georgia's 11th graders passing the state's high school graduation test is on the rise. According to numbers released by the state Department of Education on Wednesday, 91 percent of juniors passed the English language arts portion of the Georgia High School Graduation Test. That's up from 90 percent last year. In math, the rate rose from 93 to 94 percent. Social studies is up from 86 to 87 percent, and science increased from 86 to 88 percent. All high school students have to pass the test to get a diploma in Georgia. Students who don't pass can retake the test as many times as they need.

(Associated Press)

Bible courses not so popular

Few Georgia high schools offer non-devotional Bible courses two years after the state made them legal. Two years ago, Georgia became the first state in the nation to allow publicly funded Bible courses. But only 37 of Georgia's 440 high schools offered the courses last school year. Educators say students are not interesting in the courses. Other school districts have shied away from offering them out of fears of lawsuits.

(Associated Press)

Reading scores rise

Georgia's high schoolers are reading better, according to new test results. Nearly nine out of 10 Georgia high school students passed the state's writing test this fall. 89 percent of the 106,000 11th-graders who took the test in September either met or exceeded standards. That's up from 88 percent last year. This year's pass rate is the highest the state has seen.

(Associated Press)

N. Ga. grants to boost high school, college attendance

DAHLONEGA - The Georgia Appalachian Center for Higher Education (GACHE) at North Georgia College and State University is awarding 16 competitive grants totaling $98,000 to area high schools on Wednesday to support strategies to assist and encourage students to finish high school and pursue a college degree.

The high schools receiving the grants are Banks County, Chattooga, Commerce, Elbert County, Fannin County, Franklin County, Gilmer, Gordon Central, Gordon Lee, Jackson County, LaFayette, Lumpkin County, Murray County, Ridgeland, Sonoraville, and Woody Gap.

"We are excited that so many school principals, graduation coaches, counselors, and superintendents are willing to step up to the challenge of ensuring that their students graduate ready for college with real post-secondary choices," said Shirley Davis, director of the Georgia Appalachian Center for Higher Education. 

"We know the economic consequences of leaving high school without a diploma are harsh, and, in today s world, stopping short of postsecondary education is equally grim. We want every student to graduate from high school and have college as a viable option."

GACHE is housed on the campus of North Georgia College and State University in the School of Education and is funded by NGCSU and by the Appalachian Regional Commission.

As part of the Appalachian Higher Education Network and one of ten centers in the Appalachian states, GACHE provides resources to schools to increase student opportunities for pursuing postsecondary education. GACHE is modeled after widely acclaimed programs operating in the Appalachian regions of Ohio and West Virginia that have boosted college attendance rates by as much as 20 percent.

In a related story, an independent review of Georgia's math tests shows that the exams were valid even though thousands of students failed them.

The audit released by the Georgia Department of Education on Tuesday says questions on the math Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests strongly matched state curriculum. The results bolster claims by the Georgia Department of Education that math scores plummeted last spring because of harder tests and more rigorous classwork. Nearly 40 percent of eighth-graders - about 50,000 - failed the math CRCT this year. State officials say the audit was a routine review and was scheduled before the low test scores were released in May.

The audit was performed by edCount LLC.

(The Associated Press)

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Grad coaches program making impact

Today Governor Sonny Perdue released new statistics trumpeting the success of his one-year old graduation coaches program.

Perdue was on the grounds of Marietta High School in Cobb County Friday to mark the strides of state educators in reducing Georgia's drop-out rate. The Governor says during his five years in office, the high school graduation rate has increased almost 9-percent. Now, just over 72 percent of Georgia high schoolers get their diploma.

Perdue attributes the success mainly to graduation coaches-–academic counselors who target "at risk students". He says while the benefit is personal for students, it's also economical for the state. Perdue says jobs are becoming more technical, and need more education.

"When we bring in, try to locate businesses and jobs here, the quality of our workforce is the real bottom line...and that's what they want to know. Can you supply us with a level of workforce that we need".

The Governor issued a challenge to Georgia schools to reach an 80-percent high school graduation rate by the time he leaves office in early 2011. Perdue noted his aim to target "at risk" kids earlier in the educational process, with middle school coaches part of the program this school year.