The scores for Georgia’s first-ever Milestones tests are out, and many DeKalb County School District students struggled to pass.
The old Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests and high school End of Course Tests “set some of the lowest expectations for student proficiency in the nation,” state Superintendent Richard Woods said in September when the statewide average scores were released. The new test is harder to pass, and the results released Monday show students struggling in the DeKalb County School District.
For third-grade English, a core subject, 43.7 percent of DeKalb schools students failed.
Starting with next round of tests in the spring, failing students could be held back. Parents of students who fail the reading exam in third, fifth and eighth grade must have a conference with their school about repeating the grade. The same goes for students who fail math in fifth and eighth grade. The tests also count for a fifth of the grade in high school courses.
Teachers eventually will be evaluated on the results, too.
Follow the reporting, analysis and reactions as the story develops at myAJC.com and on the education page.
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