CRCT results show gains for older students

More older students made score gains at the top end in this year’s round of mandatory Georgia school exams, while the results were mixed for younger students.

The percentage of Georgia's eighth graders who exceeded standards in the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests grew in all subjects, according to results released today by the Georgia Department of Education.

The next level down from exceeds standards is “meets” standards. Overall, the percentage of elementary and middle school students who either met or exceeded standards rose in 14 of 30 grade specific content areas. Another eight areas showed no change, while eight more showed declines.

Only statewide performance on the tests is being reported today, with more detailed results from school districts and individual schools to be released in coming weeks.

The CRCT is given annually in grades 3 through 8 and covers five topics: reading, English/language arts, math, science and social students. Students in grades 3, 5 and 8 must meet or exceed state standards in reading to be promoted to the next grade. Fifth- and eighth-graders must also meet or exceed state standards in math to be promoted.

The tests have been a key instrument for judging the performance of teachers and schools, and in the past were used to determine whether schools met academic goals known as Annual Yearly Progress. With federal approval, Georgia, like many states, opted out of the federal AYP regimen. However, the CRCT has remained at the core of Georgia’s new measure of school performance, the College and Career Ready Performance Index, though that is changing.

These results are from exams this spring. It was the last administration of the CRCT. The state is phasing it out, and is preparing a new instrument — now called Georgia Milestones and previously called the Georgia Measures of Achievement and Progress — to replace it in the upcoming school year.