8th graders’ math scores dip on Georgia test. See your school’s score.
Fewer than half of Georgia eighth graders are proficient or above in mathematics, according to new state test results released this week.
Eighth grade is the only grade that saw a slight decline in math scores on the 2025-2026 Georgia Milestones: 46% were proficient or higher, compared to 47% in 2024-2025.
The Milestones are the state-administered exams that measure whether students are learning what they’re supposed to in different grades and subjects.
The Georgia Department of Education released test scores for math in third through eighth grade and algebra, as well as social studies and science. Eighth grade math scores are often used as an indicator of whether students are prepared for the more advanced mathematics taught in high school.
The state implemented new math standards during the 2023-24 school year, so the test changed to measure students’ mastery of those. Scores have ticked up in most grade levels since then.
In 2025-2026, 79% of Georgia eighth graders scored in the “developing learner” range or above in math. Students in the “developing learner” category demonstrated partial proficiency and may need additional academic support in the next grade.
Each other grade saw improvement in math over the previous year, with an additional 4% of third and seventh graders scoring proficient or higher compared to the previous school year.
While most grades are improving in every subject, the majority of students aren’t reaching proficiency. For example, 47% of high schoolers scored proficient or above in biology; just 40% of eighth graders reached those levels in social studies. The exception to that was physical science. According to the Department of Education, 30% of eighth graders opted to take the course, and 61% scored proficient or above last year.
“These results reflect the hard work taking place every day in Georgia’s classrooms,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said in a news release. “Our teachers, school leaders, district teams, students, and families deserve tremendous credit for the progress we’re seeing … With that said, we know there’s still work to do, and we will not rest until the foundation is laid for every child to improve reading and mathematical skills.”
The Georgia Department of Education is expected to release English language arts and reading scores in November. Last school year was the first time the department administered a new exam after changing the language arts standards, and it takes longer to calculate scores in an exam’s first year.
The language of Georgia Milestones
The state-issued assessment is not a pass/fail test. Student performance is broken into four categories: beginning learner, developing learner, proficient learner and distinguished learner.
Schools and districts often combine the proficient and distinguished levels to get an overall percentage of students who are meeting state standards. But the Georgia Department of Education says students in the ‘developing’ category can demonstrate enough proficiency to be promoted to the next course or grade level.
Here’s a brief primer on each tier:
- Beginning Learner: A student has not demonstrated proficiency in a subject according to the state standards. The student needs academic support and intervention to catch up to grade-level requirements.
- Developing Learner: A student has shown partial mastery of grade-level skills. They’re showing progress, but still need additional academic support to stay on track.
- Proficient Learner: This is the benchmark target for Georgia students. Scoring in this category means a student has mastered the state standards and is well-prepared for the next course or grade level.
- Distinguished Learner: This is the highest achievement level. Students here have demonstrated advanced proficiency, going above and beyond grade-level expectations.