75% passed in two of the counties. Doesn't that put a lie to most of the excuses for not passing?
Priscilla Brown's daughter, an honor roll student, earned an A in her math class, yet she failed the state's math test.
The Morgan Road Middle School parent isn't alone. As criticism from Georgia's new curriculum continues to mount, Ms. Brown and other parents say they are angry with state education leaders.
Rather than enjoying time off this summer and going with friends to Tennessee, her daughter will be staying closer to home and studying, Ms. Brown said.
"This has happened all across the state," said Carol Rountree, Richmond County's director of guidance, testing and research. "I get those phone calls all day long."
The testing controversy comes after Georgia implemented a new, more rigorous curriculum this year. Only 60 percent of eighth-graders statewide passed the math portion of the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests, according to preliminary results. Locally, the preliminary passing rates were:
- Richmond County: 45 percent
- Columbia County: 73 percent
- Burke County: 53 percent
- McDuffie County: 75 percent
Why is it important?
Pupils must pass the math test to be automatically promoted to ninth grade. A retest will be held in June, but those who fail a second time must appeal the decision or be held back.
Even worse were the results of statewide social studies tests given to sixth- and seventh-graders. Results were so dismal -- only 20 percent to 30 percent passed -- that those test results have been thrown out.
The back story
In the 2005-06 school year, the Department of Education began phasing in the Georgia Performance Standards to replace the Quality Core Curriculum. The shift was meant to be a move from memorization to understanding.
The new curriculum covers fewer topics, but in greater depth. A criticism of the previous curriculum was that it covered too many topics and only in a shallow way.
For the first time, the state's eighth-graders this year learned algebra and geometry, concepts previously taught in high school, Richmond County math coordinator Shelly Allen said. She emphasized this new test doesn't resemble the old one. The school system was already moving toward all eighth-graders taking algebra.
"These kids aren't any less smart or intelligent by any means," Mrs. Allen said, adding they are actually smarter for being exposed to the more rigorous materials.
Georgia pupils traditionally scored better on state math tests than math tests given nationally, she said. In theory, greater rigor is good, but the implementation caused problems because the curriculum wasn't phased in.
"The curriculum is supposed to be like a ladder, but the kids who are in the eighth grade now started in the middle of the ladder," Mrs. Allen said. "What I'm surprised by is that the state is going to stand by the promotion policy in a year when it's not the students' fault."
The solutions
Pupils who failed a required portion of the CRCT still have chances to advance to the next grade. School systems are preparing for summer school and at least two retests.
Richmond County began administering benchmark assessments this school year, so teachers can pinpoint where each pupil stumbled on the test. Parents should ask teachers about that to help focus on their child's weak areas, Mrs. Allen said.
Dr. Rountree said summer school sessions will have much smaller class sizes and pupils will be grouped into common weaknesses so they can focus on learning the needed material. Last year, 809 Richmond County eighth-graders failed either the reading or math portion of the CRCT, both of which are required for automatic promotion. This year, 1,340 students failed.
Pupils can retake the CRCT at the end of summer school, but aren't required to attend the summer sessions to take the test. Pupils, however, must take the retest to be eligible for an appeal. With approval of a parent, teacher and principal, a pupil can be promoted without passing the CRCT.
In Columbia County, Deputy Superintendent Sandra Carraway said pupils who fail the math test a second time this summer can ask for a placement review in which a committee will decide whether a pupil can be promoted based on CRCT and yearly performances.
The committee would include the child's parent, teacher, a school administrator and a school system administrator. Dr. Carraway said reviews would take place the week before school starts in August.
Morris News Service Staff Writer Lynn Davidson contributed to this story.
Reach Betsy Gilliland at (706) 868-1222, ext. 113. Reach Greg Gelpi at (706) 828-3851.
COULD YOU PASS IT?
Try answering the practice questions for the sixth- and seventh-grade social studies and eighth-grade math portions of the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests.
GETTING PREPARED
To help your child prepare for the retest, visit www.gadoe.org. Go to testing under the pull-down menu. Click on the CRCT logo. A list of study guides is in the box on the left side of the page.
EARLY WARNING
ATLANTA --- The state Department of Education knew last July that thousands of sixth- and seventh-graders were headed toward failing a mandatory social studies test, according to a report Friday.
Documents obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution show that pupils taking the pilot test answered many questions incorrectly. The state said it will throw out results from the social studies tests, but math results will stand.
Early projections were based on answers to pilot questions from pupils who had not taken Georgia's new social studies curriculum, said Dana Tofig, the education department spokesman.
-- Associated Press
Comments
75% passed in two of the counties. Doesn't that put a lie to most of the excuses for not passing?
So it's acceptable to you that only 3 of every 4 students are getting the required instruction in public school?
Mrs. Brown, if my daughter earned A's in Math but failed a standardized Math test, the first thing I'd check would how my daughter's A-grades were calculated: How many 100s did she receive for turning homework assignments, for coming to class, for smoozing her teacher, because the teacher feared a confrontation over grades with me in the principal's office, et al? By the way, how'd she do on The Iowa test of Basic Skills' Math subtest? If your daughter is a "bona fide" A-student, she should score at, or above, the 75%-ile and be at, or above, grade-level on the Math subtest.
As a high school math teacher, I say please, please, please don't pass these kids on to the 9th grade without the math skills necessary for earning required Carnegie Units. High school teachers see students who failed the CRCT, yet are still promoted to 9th grade, often fail 9th grade math. These students, many of whom don't even have basic skills like adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing mastered yet, are not ready for high school math. Please do not promote them!
Now debby. You know that most decisions to pass students is dictated by the BOE. The disparity in test scores between those counties with 70+% and those in the 40s/50s are simply because the BOE of some counties choose to take the easy way out, skirt the state law, and pass those students in grades 3,5,8 who failed the CRCT regardless. I heard that one administrator down in Burke County admitted that they passed every child in those grades without holding the required parent/teacher/administrator conferences. Instead they developed a "rubric" that amazingly said every child was ok to go ahead. Think about the impact. Students are placed to learn new content without proper foundation. More importantly students learn that you don't have to even try on the test as your older friends tell you that it doesn't matter.
csrareader, it's alright to be a csrathinker too.
Also, 5th grade has the new math GPS test too, what are the results county wide on this test? These students did not get the GPS Standards in the 3rd and 4th grade and came onto the ladder in the middle too.
Geez, and they wonder WHY I even bother homeschooling AFTER the kids get home from public school. I looked at my kids Iowa test results and I was disgusted when my kids got into the gifted programs, got A's in school, got a distinguished scholar trophy on honors day and they STILL came home with low reading and comprehension and math skills! I think the whole board of Education AND the STATE Department need to retake the kids tests to see if they passed! If not, fire them!
Now this should be easy for all of you none government school people. Lets see how many will get this right in the next 2 minutes. The weight specification for a new truck is 1,500 kg. What is the weight of the truck in grams? A 150 B 15,000 C 1,500,000 D 150,000,000 I have the upmost confidence that at least 4 of you ill get this correct, starting.....NOW.
This is absolute racism. The tests must be administered by same race instructors to same race students in order to get valid results. Pencils should match as well. I'm shocked some of the earlier posters did not pick up on this.
I can tell you right now that for one reason alone that nearly all of the kids caught in the middle of the CRCT debacle will move on to 9th grade. If they were all held back, schools would need to construct additional hallways to hold all of these students for the next school year. My prediction is that the students who go the distance - attend CRCT remediation camp, retest and appeal if there is a second failure - will miraculously appear on the 9th grade door step in August just in time to face the new GPS for 9th graders. High school math teachers, hold on for the very bumpy ride ahead. As a MS math teacher, I know this kids were not ready for what I taught much less for what you have for them.
Mike has a cube. The length of each side is 4.8 cm. Which of these is the BEST estimate of the surface of Mike's cube?
A 20 cm2 B 60 cm2 C 150 cm2 D 180 cm2
Hypo, hint....kilo=1000
I do not need a hint. my passion is Math and as you are aware, not English. LOL I am still waiting for an answer. By the way PT, I knew you would know the answer. LOL
some pretty simple math estimates Hypo. Are these supposed to be difficult for children going to the 9th grade?
A. Because a woman weighing 50 kg actually weighs 110 lbs here on eart. However if she was on Venus, where they originally came from, she would be a perfect size 5 and have a beautiful face, wonderful personality, be extremely intelligent and have enormous breasts. And would have better things to do than post here with us.
the answer to your first question is obvious....add three zeros and drop the k. the answer to the second is round to 5, find the area of one side, multiply by the 6 sides. If my 9yr old (4th grade) couldn't get those answers, she'd be home schooled all summer.
PT, you would be shocked that the majority of those criticizing the most, do not.
Good morning PT...I'm surprised to see you here...LOL
Good morning 14Putt. I'm being slow to work today. Thought I'd stir the pot before I left. Not much controversy though. Guess I'll have to settle for being my usually pleasant self.
Here's a math teaser. Let's say you are a news reporter in a 3rd world country and reporting a possible hurricane. The hurricane becomes much worse than expected. It becomes a life threatening flood. The area just below you is being washed away and suddenly you see people rushing by you and being washed out to sea. You see a woman who looks veguely familiar, you try to get closer for a better look. Suddenly you realize it's Hilliary Clinton. You are close enough to grab her as she goes by but it would be risky. You lean way over and stretch your arms out as far as possible in her direction. Remember you are about 3' higher than her, her body is rushing by at 6' per second, you're only 5'10" tall. Here's the question...what speed film would you use in your Nikon 35mm camera to get the best shot of this?
PT, I got to give it to you, when you are right.
Hypo, that would mean you'd have to give it to me almost all of the time.
14PUTT, trick question. No one uses 35mm when digital is available.
PUTT, is it daylight or dark?
The residents of Georgia can thank former Governor Roy Barnes for this fiasco. As part of his Education Reform Act of 2000, the placement and promotion policy ties students' advancement to their performance on nationally standardized tests. It's time for our current legislature to either get it right, or drop this silly requirement. The bottom line - students are graded all year long. If they are not learning the information, they will be failing in the classroom. If they're passing the tests all year long, they should be promoted. You don't need a "do or die" test at the end. Call, write and email your legislator TODAY and demand that improvements in the process be made.
bowtie...trick question...I'm not outside
Wow now everyone knows the kids down here are learning on a lower level,than the kids up north.try moving to a northern state were your child will have to take the same test and fail,because what they are learning in the southern states is not up to date. move up north they put you down a grade, move down south you get move up a grade, what that tells you.If the state of Ga, let you be a parent then we would not have all these problems.
Again pay teacher to teach. give them raises
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