Education Dept. anticipated CRCT failures

According to the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, state education officials knew as early as July 2007 that Georgia sixth and seventh grade students would perform poorly on this year’s mandatory state social studies test.

Results from a pilot test given by the Department of Education indicated many students would likely not pass. However, officials allowed the CRCT test to proceed, apparently assuming students would score higher this year.

State education officials released preliminary results of the test this week, saying that 70 to 80 percent of middle-schoolers failed the social studies test this spring. Complete results are set to be released next month.

(The Atlanta-Journal Constitution)

Student math scores will stand

Unlike the results of social studies testing, the state Department of Education has no plans to throw out math scores of Georgia 8th graders in the recent standardized testing results.

State D-O-E spokesperson Dana Tofig says the 40-percent failure rate in the math portion of the Criterion Referenced Competency Test, or CRCT, is in-line with what they expected with a tougher curriculum.

"There are no issues with math. The issues with social studies were that the data raised a big red flag for us. To see that type of pass-rate raised a big red flag. The pass rate for math did not raise a red flag”.

Wednesday, state schools Superintendent Kathy Cox announced the social studies scores for 6th and 7th graders will be tossed from recent testing in the CRCT’s. The recorded 70-80 percent failure rate was attributed to a vague curriculum, and testing not matching the coursework.

GA school officials to revisit social studies standards

State school Superintendent Kathy Cox says by the end of this week she will announce the formation of a committee to revisit standards for social studies teaching. This comes in the wake of preliminary results this week that show about a quarter of 6th and 7th graders failed in social studies testing within the state’s standardized testing. Early results from the Criterion Reference Competency Test also showed that roughly one-in-three 8th graders did not pass the math portion of the CRCT.