Students in grades 3-12 will be assessed by the Georgia Milestones. In grades 3-8, students will be given end-of-grade (EOG) tests in:

• Language Arts (includes Writing component)
• Mathematics
• Science
• Social Studies

High school students will be given Georgia Milestones end-of-course (EOC) tests when they are enrolled in the following courses (also applies to 8th graders taking high school level classes):

• 9th Grade Literature and Composition
• American Literature and Composition
• Coordinate Algebra
• Analytic Geometry
• Physical Science
• Biology
• United States History
• Economics

On the new Georgia Milestones, students in grades 3-12 will be assessed using one test rather than a series of individual tests.  When students took the CRCT previously, a separate test was given for reading, language arts and writing. At the high school level, students were given the EOCT and writing assessment. Now, reading, language arts and writing have been combined to align more directly with the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards.

In addition, the Georgia Milestones will include open-ended questions to determine how well students have mastered the content that they have been taught. The test will also include questions that require students to provide elaborate answers to explain their answers or reasoning. Since Georgia Milestones will include writing in all grade levels, students will no longer take the grades 3, 5, and 8 writing assessments.

The Georgia Milestones will determine how well students have mastered the state standards and how prepared students are for college and careers. These new tests will also better support Georgia students, as they compete with their peers in the United States and other countries. The Georgia Milestones will also give educators more information about how students might perform on other tests, such as the SAT or ACT.

The Georgia Milestones will include test items that the Georgia Department of Education can use to compare how Georgia’s students responded versus how students in other states responded to similar test items.

The Georgia Milestones will transition to an online assessment over a five-year period. In the first year (2014-2015), it is expected that 30 percent of students will take the test online.  By Year 3, it is expected that 80 percent of students will take the assessment online. By Year 5, the expectation is that 100 percent of students will be tested online.  However, the Georgia Department of Education will provide paper/pencil versions for the small number of students who cannot use a computer as a result of a disability. Braille forms will also be available for students who need them.

The Georgia Department of Education will create an online practice center. Muscogee County School District has been administering some assessments online for years. Additionally, schools throughout the district are increasing the amount of time and exposure that students get to working on computers, starting at a very young age.

Discuss the new tests with your child. Explain that the purpose of the tests is to determine how well the child understands the material that he/she has been taught.  Explain that the new tests will also give teachers and schools information about areas in which your child needs additional support. Visit the Georgia Department of Education’s website to view sample test items.  Review these test items with your child to help increase his/her confidence about taking the new tests.

For younger students, and those with little exposure to working on a computer, increase the amount of time they get interacting with a computer. Have them correspond weekly with a family member or friend through email. Use online study tools to help with homework. Even allowing them to play games and draw in computer applications will increase their comfort level and boost confidence in using the computer when test time comes.