Parents in Richmond and Columbia counties whose children took standardized math and reading tests again this month will know the results in July.

Audrey Wood, the Richmond County school system director of curriculum, said Superintendent Dana Bedden will send a letter to parents with the results of the retests in mid- to late July.

Lauren Williams, the Columbia County school system associate superintendent of student learning, said principals will contact parents in late July.

"We're hoping that many of these students will pass because many of them were close to the cut-off," she said.

A total of 753 fifth- and eighth-graders in Columbia County failed the math Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests in April, and many disrupted summer plans to attend a three-week remediation session to prepare for the retest.

In Richmond County, 1,911 fifth- and eighth-graders took reading and math remediation classes this summer.

A high number of children across the state were forced to retake the math CRCT this summer after scores plummeted for fifth- and eighth-graders, who were tested under a more rigorous curriculum for the first time. The new curriculum requires pupils to apply concepts and higher-order thinking skills, rather than recall memorized facts.

Educators already are trying to ensure that test scores, which included a statewide failure rate of 40 percent for eighth-grade math, don't nosedive again next year.

Dr. Williams said administrators have begun analyzing data and the parts of the tests that produced low scores so the school system can make adjustments.

She said the school system will work closely with teachers whose pupils performed poorly.

"Part of a teacher's evaluation each year is the performance of her students," Dr. Williams said.

The Georgia Department of Education is working closely with school systems to help them supplement textbook instruction with resources such as software and digital media, Dr. Wood said.

She said the school system has begun working with publishing companies to customize resources. Dr. Williams and Dr. Wood said parents whose children failed the retest can contact their school principal to file an appeal about promotion. Pupils must pass the CRCT third-grade reading and fifth- and eighth-grade reading and math exams to advance.

It is unclear, however, if any frustrated families will leave the public schools altogether.

Laura Fuller, the Augusta Preparatory Day School executive administrative assistant, said the incoming freshman class has more students than normal. A ninth-grade class typically has about 10 students, she said, but 16 have enrolled. She did not know whether the increased number was related to the CRCT.

Reach Betsy Gilliland at (706) 868-1222, ext. 113,or betsy.gilliland@augustachronicle.com.