The Georgia Department of Education has thrown out the yardstick it has used for the past two years and has gone back to the tried and true way of measuring pupil achievement.
After botched scoring nullified national standardized test results last year, Georgia is switching from the Stanford Achievement Test Series, Ninth Edition, back to the Iowa Test of Basic Skills.
Richmond County finished its administration of the test March 14, and the test today is the last day of testing for Columbia County pupils in third, fifth and eighth grades. Although the standardized testing has traditionally been done in spring, school systems also have the option of administering the test in the fall.
"We have always given it in the spring, and we do use the results for program placement for the coming year - a high score in reading/language arts would be for placement in foreign language, or is the score such that they qualify for EIP (Early Intervention Program)," said Columbia County School Superintendent Tommy Price.
Richmond County School System spokeswoman Mechelle Jordan said Richmond County also decided to administer the test in spring so any needed instructional changes that might become apparent in test results can be made before fall.
Students are hit with a battery of tests in spring, including the High School Graduation Test (March 24-28 in Richmond and Columbia counties). Then there is the Criterion Reference Competency Test, which evaluates a student's understanding of Georgia's Quality Core Curriculum. Now given to students in first through eighth grades, the CRCT test will be given April 22-May 2 in Columbia County and April 28-May 7 in Richmond County. The CRCT is the test by which schools and teachers are evaluated, and it also determines promotion in certain grades.
"Now with the opportunity to test in fall or spring, we'll probably seriously consider going with a fall administration in the future to separate some of the testing so it's not all occurring at the same time," Mr. Price said.
In 2000, the state dropped the Iowa Test of Basic Skills for the cheaper Stanford 9. But scoring problems during the past two years made the tests practically useless.
The Georgia Department of Education has signed a five-year renewable contract to purchase the ITBS through Riverside Publishing at a cost of $1.59 per student. There are about 350,000 students in third, fifth and eighth grades statewide.
"We have always felt very comfortable with the Iowa test - we've used it for years and years. Economics was the basis behind the state's decision to switch, and history tells us that wasn't a very good decision based on what's happened over the past two years. Going back to it was, in our opinion, a good move," Mr. Price said.
Reach Melissa Hall at (706) 868-1222, ext. 113, or melhall@augustachronicle.com.
