Testing Information

GKIDS - Kindergarten

Students in kindergarten are assessed throughout the school year on GKIDS, the Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills. GKIDS is an ongoing, performance based assessment, designed to assist teachers in planning instruction throughout the school year, and to serve as one measure of a student’s readiness for first grade. It provides ongoing diagnostic information about kindergarten students’ developing skills in four academic areas; English Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies, and in three non-Academic domains: Personal/Social Development, Approaches to Learning, and Motor Skills. Individual Student Reports will be provided at the end of the school year, and will include English Language Arts, Math, Approaches to Learning, and Personal/Social Development.

GKIDS Page at the Georgia Department of Education

GKIDS Parent Brochure

Experience Online Testing Georgia

We are pleased to announce that the new Experience Online Testing Georgia website is available with a demonstration test for each of three grade bands – grades 3-5, grades 6-8, and high school – with sample items from each content area. The primary purpose of this website is to provide exposure to the online platform that some students will utilize when taking the Georgia Milestones tests.

This new public-facing site is based upon the interface, functions, and tools that students will see in the INSIGHT online platform beginning with the Winter 2015 End of Course (EOC) administration.

It is important to understand that the items that comprise the demonstration tests are general in nature and reflect multiple grade levels. Given the purpose of this site is to acquaint students with the navigation of the online testing process, the items are generic and are not necessarily reflective of the range of content or challenge that students will experience when taking the actual Georgia Milestones tests.

For this public-facing site, please be aware that Google Chrome is the only supported browser. Using Google Chrome, these public demonstration tests can be taken on any supported device, including Windows, Mac, and Linux desktops and laptops, Chromebooks, iPads and Android devices. (Note: This browser requirement will not apply for those practice opportunities that will be available within the INSIGHT secure testing site that is scheduled to open in early November).

Using a Chrome browser only, enter the following link to access the site: http://www.gaexperienceonline.com

All you need to do to access a test is to select the Test Practice button, select Online Tools Training and Test Practice under End-of-Course (EOC) or End-of-Grade (EOG). For both EOG and EOC, you will have the option to explore the Standard Online Tools or the Online Accommodations of Masking, Contrasting Color, and Color Chooser. You will find these under “Options” at the bottom of the screen. If you select EOG, you will also select a grade band (3 – 5 or 6 – 8). You will find the username and password on the login screen itself for the selected demonstration test. Enter that information and click Sign In – and you are ready to go! Additional information can be found on the Experience Online Testing Georgia page under Documentation.

Again, these opportunities are provided to ensure students have familiarity with the testing platform prior to a live administration. We hope you find the Experience Online Testing Georgia website helpful.

GMAS - End of Grade (EOG) Grades 3rd – 8th

Students in grades three through eight are assessed each spring on the Georgia Performance Standards. Students in grades three through eight will be tested in Reading/Language Arts/Writing, and Mathematics. Students in grades five and eight will also be tested in Science and Social Studies. Third grade students are required to pass the Reading/Language Arts/Writing test for promotion to fourth grade, fifth grade students are required to pass the Reading/Language Arts/Writing and Mathematics tests for promotion to sixth grade, and eighth grade students are required to pass the Reading/Language Arts/Writing and Mathematics tests for promotion to ninth grade.

Georgia Milestones End of Grade Assessment Guides

GMAS - End of Course (EOC) Grades 9th – 12th

All high school students will take the GMAS EOC tests after completing courses in Coordinate Algebra, Analytic Geometry, US History, Economics, Biology, Physical Science, 9th Grade Literature and Composition, and American Literature and Composition. Results of the EOC are used for diagnostic, remedial and accountability purposes to gauge the quality of education in the state and also count as part of the student's final grade in the course.

Georgia Milestones Page at the Georgia Department of Education

Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA) Grades K - 12

The GAA is an IEP-based assessment that reports progress toward achievement of targeted goals for each student. Students who are eligible for the GAA are those who are currently participating in an alternate curriculum and who are not participating in any of the state-mandated assessments. IEP teams for GAA students identify five curriculum domains, one of which must be communication, and a targeted goal for each domain. As the IEP is implemented, student achievement is noted. At the end of the implementation period, student progress is converted to a rating level (initial, emerging, progressing, or functional) for each domain reported.

GAA Page at the Georgia Department of Education

GAA Brochure for Parents

Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)

The SAT reasoning test is a measure of the critical thinking skills needed for academic success in college. The SAT assesses how well a student analyzes and solves problems. All colleges and universities in Georgia accept sores from the SAT for admission purposes. The College Board determines the national testing dates and testing sites for the SAT exam. Students must register online for the SAT at www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/about.html Students wishing to register with a check via regular mail can obtain the necessary forms from the counseling office at Coffee High School. The College Board offers fee waivers for students meeting financial criteria. Details are available at the site noted above.

Free Online SAT Preparation • SAT Dates and Information

ACT

The ACT examination assesses high school students’ general educational development and their ability to complete college level work. All colleges and universities in Georgia accept scores from the ACT for admission purposes. ACT determines the national testing dates and testing sites for the ACT exam. Students may register online for the ACT at www.actstudent.org. The 08-09 cost of the exam is $31.00 for the ACT exam without writing and $46.00 for the ACT exam with writing. Students wishing to register with a check via regular mail can obtain the necessary forms form the counseling office at their high school. ACT offers fee waivers for students meeting certain financial criteria. Details are available at the site noted above.

ACT Dates and Information

PSAT – Grade 10

The Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test (PSAT) is provided free to all students enrolled in grade ten in Georgia public high schools. It is published by The College Board as a tenth or eleventh grade practice instrument for students before taking the SAT in eleventh or twelfth grade.

This examination is an excellent opportunity for students to understand the requirements of the SAT, which is a critical reasoning exam used as a criteria in college admissions. Tenth grade students who participate in the October administration of the PSAT at their home high school receive a detailed Score Report Plus in December. The Score Report Plus provides students with a comprehensive skills’ analysis of their performance and gives them a code which provides access to a website with additional test information and an interactive career information program called My Roads.

PSAT Information from the Georgia Department of Education

The Georgia Student Growth Model (GSGM) is an exciting new initiative designed to provide students, parents, educators, and the public with additional information on student progress. Historically, Georgia’s assessment system has only enabled educators and other stakeholders to ask questions such as “What percentage of students met the state standard?” Or, “Did more students meet the state standard this year compared to last year?” The GSGM will allow Georgia to move beyond questions about status to ask critical growth-related questions such as:

-Did this student grow more or less than academically-similar students?
-Are students growing as much in math as in reading?
-Are students on track to reach or exceed proficiency?

The GSGM provides a wealth of rich information on student, school, district, and state progress on End of Grade (EOGs) and End of Course Tests (EOCs). In addition to providing student-level diagnostic information and improving teaching and learning, the GSGM works in conjunction with other factors as part of the state’s new accountability system, the College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI), and serve as one of multiple indicators of educator effectiveness with the Teacher Keys Effectiveness System (TKES) and the Leader Keys Effectiveness System (LKES).

NAEP

For more than 40 years, information on what American students know and can do has been generated by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). It is the first ongoing effort to obtain comprehensive and dependable achievement data on a national basis in a uniform and scientific manner. Commonly known as “The Nation’s Report Card”, NAEP is a congressionally mandated project of the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

General Testing Information

Parent Guides - Individual Grade Levels (Spanish)

Parent Guides - Individual Grade Levels

Georgia Student Growth Model (GSGM)