Ga. Milestones Test Results Released

The Stephens County School System is getting its first look at its results in the initial round of “Georgia Milestones” testing.

Last week, the Georgia Department of Education released the school system level results for the first year of the new state tests taken in the 2014-2015 school year.

Stephens County School Superintendent Bryan Dorsey said that school officials knew that with a test designed to be more rigorous, there would be clear opportunities for improvement.

However, Dorsey said that Stephens County has a lot of things to be proud of based off of the scores in the first year of the “Milestones” test.

“We were particularly pleased that we were competitive or above the state averages with our Coordinate Algebra at the high school and our Analytic Geometry, along with our Physical Science and Economics,” said Dorsey. “We did great in grades 3 through 8, science was an incredibly strong performance area and certainly did well in social studies as well.”

According to state officials, the Georgia Milestones test assesses student learning among four levels of performance compared to three and seeks to capture the progression of students’ learning; beginning, developing, proficient, and distinguished learner.

A beginning learner does not yet demonstrate proficiency in the knowledge and skills necessary at this grade level or course of learning. A developing learner demonstrates partial proficiency in the knowledge and skills necessary at this grade level or course of learning. A proficient learner demonstrates proficiency in the knowledge and skills necessary at this grade level or course of learning and a distinguished learner demonstrates advanced proficiency in the knowledge and skills necessary at that grade level or course of learning.

The state said that proficient or distinguished learners are ready for the next grade level or course, while beginning or developing learners need additional academic support in that area.

State officials said that the higher bar for student proficiency set by the Georgia Milestones is aimed at better preparing students for college and career and providing a more realistic picture of academic progress.

State School Superintendent Richard Woods said the test is more rigorous and sets a higher bar for schools, so
lower proficiency results were expected and should not be taken to mean that schools are not doing a great job.

On the local level, Dorsey said that the first-year test scores provide a good base line of data for the school system as it moves forward into future years of the test.

“It is a place to start and this is new for students and teachers,” said Dorsey. “Remember, it is an assessment. It is a day and time. It is not the entire year.”

Parents will receive information regarding their child’s performance on the test and Dorsey said that if parents have any questions or concerns regarding the test, how it is scored, or their child’s scores, they should contact their teacher or school administrator.