Flexibility eliminates
double-testing for middle school students
MEDIA
CONTACT: Meghan
Frick, GaDOE Communications Office, 404-463-4246, mfrick@doe.k12.ga.us
April
13, 2018 – Georgia
received approval from the U.S. Department of Education (US ED) April 12 to
reduce testing and avoid duplication for students taking advanced courses in middle school.
Increasing numbers of Georgia students take high school English
Language Arts, math, and science courses in middle
school – without a waiver, most of those
students would be required to take both the
middle school End of Grade (EOG) and high school End of Course (EOC) tests. The
waiver approved by US ED today allows those students to take the End of Course test only.
“This
waiver provides both continued flexibility and a further reduction of testing
here in Georgia,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “We continue
to seek every possible opportunity to reduce and avoid duplicative testing and
reserve that time for teaching and learning. This
also ensures that these students are being assessed by the test that aligns
with the instruction they received.”
Under
its previous Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) waiver, Georgia
received flexibility from the U.S. Department of Education to avoid
double-testing for math and science. Today’s waiver continues that flexibility
under the new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and expands it to English
Language Arts.
This
flexibility will take effect immediately and apply to the spring 2018 Georgia
Milestones assessment window.