At the end of the year, all Georgia students are faced with increased demands due to state tests and AP and IB exams. But the pressure can be even more exacting for student athletes whose teams make the playoffs and they have to travel to play games.
Playoff games may take metro Atlanta teams to south Georgia for games, and they may not get back until midnight or later. They still have to get up the next day and take their Georgia Milestones tests or their AP U.S. History test.
Georgia gives these tests in April and early May even though there are weeks left of classes. Parents have long complained the last few weeks of school are lost to learning because students take their tests so early in Georgia and figure they’re done.
As one parent says, “Early Milestones finals hurt student athletes in playoffs. During those Milestones weeks, students could have two playoff matches a week. Playoffs in my son’s sport do not end until May 8. If the playoff is an away game, students could be traveling in a car for an hour or two, play a couple of hours, and then ride home with a final early the next morning.”
To read more, go to the AJC Get Schooled blog.
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