MEDIA
CONTACT:
Matt Cardoza, GaDOE Communications Office, (404) 651-7358, mcardoza@gadoe.org
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July 27, 2015 – Beginning with the 2015-2016 school year, students will take fewer
tests due to a reduction of Student Learning Objectives (SLOs) required for
schools to administer.
“I have always believed that we test our students too much,” State
School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “Eliminating some of the Student
Learning Objectives is a step toward reducing the overall number of tests given
to students, which will give our teachers more time for instruction and help
our students focus on learning instead of testing. This change is another step
toward a more responsible accountability model.”
For
Race
to the Top school districts, teachers will only be required to
administer two SLOs, where they previously administered up to six SLOs.
Non-Race to the Top school districts will administer only one SLO, where they
also previously administered up to six SLOs. If teachers in a non-Race to the Top district teach a Milestones course (state standardized test), then they would administer no SLOs.
The
SLO Assessment reduction will reduce the amount of testing in all schools and
classrooms, and lessen the financial and human resources burden on all
districts.
Superintendent
Woods added, “We have to get back to the business of personalizing, not
standardizing, education for our students, and the fewer standardized tests we
have in place, the more our teachers can do what they do best – teach."
For more information, click here.