The increase from 41% to 76% is phenomenal! Teaching to the test must work.
The percentage of Georgia 11th-graders passing the state's high school graduation test is up slightly, state officials were told Wednesday.
The increasing pass rate on the Georgia High School Graduation Test means fewer students are struggling to grasp basic concepts in math, English, science and social studies, schools Superintendent Kathy Cox told the state school board.
Results for schools in Richmond and Columbia counties were not made public. A Richmond County school official said results might be available today. Phone calls and e-mails sent to Columbia County school officials were not immediately returned Wednesday.
On its Web site, the state education department said individual system-level data will be available no later than May 28, while individual school level data will be available no later than June 11.
Statewide data released Wednesday by Mrs. Cox shows that 90 percent of juniors passed the English language arts portion of the Georgia High School Graduation Test this year. That's up from 89 percent last year.
In math, the rate rose from 93 to 94 percent. Social studies is up from 86 to 87 percent, and science increased from 86 to 88 percent.
The test scores show that the gap between minority and white students is narrowing in some areas.
On the science test, 76 percent of black students passed, compared to 41 percent in 2005. In social studies, the passing rate of Hispanic students grew from 68 percent in 2005 to 76 percent this year.
All high school students have to pass the test to get a diploma in Georgia. Students first take the test as high school juniors and can retake the test as many times as they need.
Comments
The increase from 41% to 76% is phenomenal! Teaching to the test must work.
patriciathomas, teachers teach the standards. The questions on the test are based on the standards. Why is it so difficult for people to give credit to the teachers and students who have tried to do better than before? Isn't this what we want to see happen?
I was surprised that the weeks prior they had finally decided to start teaching the material that would be tested. My son is in second grade and they hadn't done any multiplication all year or addition and subtraction beyond single digits. The week of the test they decided to teach subtraction up to 3 digits. I'm lucky my son is a fast learner and that my wife has time to teach him. If this is going to be a graduation requirement they need to be teaching the testable material all year.
Workingmom, welcome to the world of negativity.
As a teacher you are correct we are held responsible for teaching the Georgia Performance Standards for our particular content area. The tests are developed by outside agencies that we teachers have no control over. We can only hope that the tests match up to the standards we teach. Last year this was not the case in Social Studies and that is why the test results for middle school social studies was thrown out. I do not teach the test. I have no idea what is on the test. However, I do teach the standards and I do my level best to ensure that each of my students master each standard.
Hopefully they continue to improve.
Cosign, colcamp1, 100%
High school teachers do not teach to the test. Students are given the tests in March, and teachers are not allowed to open the test booklets and look at the tests at any time. Teachers who do so run the risk of getting their teaching certificates (livelyhood) revoked. Teachers teach the standards and hope that what was covered will be addressed on the GHSGT
Yay for lowering the test standards!
Although pass rates on state exams are a key accountability provision of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), several states are weakening that component by lowering the number of correct answers required on accountability exams in order to get more students to pass. A recent example comes from Georgia, where The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported the questions on the state's third-grade reading test were essentially "speed bumps on the road to fourth grade."
The Georgia Department of Education requires students to answer only 17 of the 40 test questions correctly to pass the exam and advance to the fourth grade. However, data from the department show 16 of the 40 test questions are "easy," with 75 percent or more of the students getting them right. Georgia officials acknowledge children narrowly passing the test may need remedial help in fourth grade.
http://www.heartland.org/publications/school%20reform/article/15587/Stat...
Glad to see improved scores, just wish I knew if it really means they've learned more. I wonder when I read things like jasoninaugusta just contributed. I guess it wouldn't hurt to raise some standards.
There are so many factors involved in whether a student passes a standardized test. Students who choose not to read the passages before answering the questions are most likely not going to score well. The teachers cannot MAKE them read the selections. Students who put their heads down on the desks and fall asleep are most likely not going to score as well either. Students who answer the first few questions and then refuse to finish the test are not going to pass. I could go on and on but these situations occur each year in every school during testing week.
Tell us something we DON'T know. And what is your point?
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