Skip Ribbon Commands
Skip to main content


CRCT Results Show Progress (UPDATED 7/8)

 MEDIA CONTACT:  GaDOE Communications office, (404) 651-7358, mcardoza@gadoe.org      - Follow us on  Twitter  or on  Facebook     JUNE 9, 2010  -- Student performance is rising and the achievement gap is closing in the majority of grades and content areas on the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT).   The official statewide results of the CRCT were released today and show one-year improvement on 25 of the 34 content area tests with historical data. There was a decrease on three tests (grade 2 reading, grade 2 ELA, and grade 1 mathematics) and no one-year change on six tests.   "These results provide further evidence that our teachers are doing a great job implementing the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) and they are to be commended for their hard work," Superintendent Cox said. "It also shows that when you raise expectations, Georgia students will rise up and meet that higher bar."   Among the highlights of the report:  - Mathematics, grade 8: The pass rate was 74 percent, an increase of four points in one year and 12 points since GPS implementation (2008).  - Science, grade 7: Eighty (80) percent of students passed the science CRCT, a one-year increase of four points and an increase of 17 points since GPS implementation (2006).  - Reading, grade 5: Ninety (90) percent of students passed the reading CRCT, one-year increase of two points and an increase of nine points since GPS implementation (2006).  - Social Studies, grade 8: The pass rate was 70 percent, an increase of seven points in one year and 11 points since GPS implementation (2008).    Achievement Gap is Closing   Even as student achievement increased in almost every subgroup, the achievement gap between minority students and white students continues to narrow under the GPS. The gap is also shrinking between regular program students and English Language Learners (ELL).   "For the most part, achievement is improving for all of our students, but our African-American students, Hispanic students and English Language Learners are making substantial progress each year under our new standards," Superintendent Cox said. "There is still work to be done, but I am very pleased that our achievement gap continues to narrow."   Among the highlights of the score report:  - Reading, grade 3: The pass rates for English Language Learners (83%) increased 7 points in one year and 26 points since the implementation of GPS. The achievement gap between ELL and regular program students closed 5 points since last year and 19 points since GPS implementation.  - English Language Arts, grade 5: The pass rates for Hispanic students (90%) have increased 16 points in five years compared to an increase of 4 points for White students. The achievement gap has closed by 12 points.  - Math, grade 7: The pass rates for English Language Learners (65%) have increased 5 points in one year and 20 points since the implementation of GPS. The achievement gap between ELL and regular program students closed 4 points since last year and 9 points since the beginning of the new curriculum.    Performance on New Tests   This year with the addition of grades 6 and 7 Social Studies, all content areas have transitioned to the GPS from the Quality Core Curriculum (QCC). The results of the grade 6 and 7 social studies exams were invalidated in 2008. Groups of educators and curriculum experts made revisions to the curriculum in these areas and the CRCT is now aligned to the revised curriculum. In each case, the new test was more rigorous and required higher order thinking.   "These results give us a more realistic picture of what our students know and can do in social studies," said Superintendent Cox. "We are holding our students to a higher standard so that when they get their diploma it will mean they are truly ready for the demands of the 21st century and prepared to be productive citizens in our country."   Sixty-four (64) percent of 6th graders and 71 percent of 7th graders passed the new GPS-aligned CRCT in social studies.    Promotion/Retention   Scores went up in all grades and content areas where students must pass to automatically be promoted to the next grade level.   State law requires that students in third, fifth and eighth grade meet or exceed expectations on the CRCT in reading in order to be promoted. Fifth and eighth grade students must also meet or exceed expectations on the CRCT in mathematics.   Results from the 2010 CRCT report:  - Third-grade scores increased two (2) percentage points from last year to 90% in reading.  - Fifth-grade scores increased two (2) percentage points from last year to 90% in reading, and three (3) percentage points to 82% in mathematics.  - Eighth-grade scores increased two (2) percentage points from last year to 95% in reading, and four (4) percentage points to 74% in mathematics.    Local system-level and school-level results   At this point, school systems across Georgia have received student-level results only. Some districts may have calculated local results using this data, but many have not. The Georgia Department of Education will make local results available on the following dates:  - No later than July 8: School-level results   More Information:   2010 School-, System- and State-level Results   Superintendent Cox's PowerPoint Presentation    Charts   CRCT Website    Promotion/Retention Policy    Development of Standardized Tests  (Video)    2009 State-, System- and School-level Results
​​​​​​​​