The Carroll County School System conducts a rigorous and comprehensive testing program, including a variety of class and school level assessments, end-of-unit assessments, system-wide benchmarks, and all assessments required by the Georgia Student Assessment Program.
The goals of the testing program are to measure student achievement relative to the state-mandated content standards, to identify students failing to achieve mastery of content, to provide teachers with diagnostic information, and to assist schools in identifying strengths and weaknesses in order to establish priorities in planning educational programs.
Georgia Student Assessment Program
All state-mandated tests are administered by certified educators who have been thoroughly trained in secure and standardized procedures, and under the direct supervision of the school testing coordinator. The system testing director provides training, distributes materials, maintains security, and provides oversight in strict adherence to state expectations.
The state assessment program includes the following customized tests at the elementary, middle, and high school levels; and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in grades 4, 8 and 12.
The New Georgia Milestones
In the past, the primary state assessments were the CRCT, CRCT-M, GAA, EOCT, GHSGT, and writing assessments in grades 3, 5, 8, and 11. Georgia is implementing a new assessment program beginning in the 2014-2015 school year which will replace many of these primary assessments.
The Georgia Milestones will be administered in grades 3 – 8 and in selected high school courses. Milestones will consist of both end of grade (EOG) and end of course (EOC) measures. These assessments will reflect a new design paradigm that requires students to actively engage in the assessment through constructed responses, short answers, extended problem solving, and extended writing. They will also reflect the increased rigor embedded in the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards.
In addition to these changes, the state assessment department is committed to conducting the new assessment program using technology (computers). Their goal is to transition to online testing over a three year period. Work has already begun to address the technology upgrades that will be needed in Carroll County Schools.
For additional information on state assessments, visit the following links: