2021-2022 State-Mandated Test Calendar Crawford County School System
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Aug 2-May 16 GKIDS Window |
Aug 2-Oct 15 GKIDS Readiness |
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Oct 4-May 6 Secure Practice Test for EOG/EOC |
Oct 13 PSAT |
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Dec. 1-13 Winter 2021 Main EOC Window |
Dec 1st-2nd: American Literature |
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Dec 3rd: US History |
Dec 6th: Algebra I |
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December 7th: Biology |
Make-Ups Dec 8th-9th |
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Jan 12-Mar 4 Test Window for ACCESS for ELLs |
Mar 21-Apr 29 GAA Test Window |
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Apr 18-Apr 29 EOG Main Administration for CCES |
April 18th: 3rd & 5th ELA Section 1 |
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April 19th: 3rd & 5th ELA Sections 2 & 3 |
April 20th: 3rd & 5th Math Sections 1 & 2 |
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April 21st: 5th Science Sections 1 & 2 |
April 25th: 4th ELA Section 1 |
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April 26th: 4th ELA Sections 2 & 3 |
April 27th: 4th Math Sections 1 & 2 |
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April 28th-29th: Makeup Days |
Apr 18-29 EOG Main Administration for CCMS |
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Apr 18/19-8th ELA |
Apr 20-8th Math |
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Apr 21-8th Sci |
Apr 22-8th SS |
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Apr 25/26-6th & 7th ELA |
Apr 27-6th & 7th Math |
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Apr 28/29- Make-Ups Grades 6-8 |
Apr 25-May 3 EOC Spring Main Administration;
Make-ups May 1
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Apr 25th-26th: American Literature |
Apr 27th: US History |
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Apr 28th: Algebra I |
Apr 29th: Biology |
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Make-Ups May 2 & 3 |
May 10-13 EOG Retest CCES/CCMS |
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Jun 13-16 EOC Summer Administration & Retest |
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Georgia Milestones Assessment System
The Georgia Milestones Assessment System (Georgia Milestones) is a comprehensive summative assessment program spanning grades 3 through high school. Georgia Milestones measures how well students have learned the knowledge and skills outlined in the state-adopted content standards in English Language Arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.
Students in grades 3 through 8 take an end-of-grade assessment in English Language Arts and mathematics while students in grades 5 and 8 are also assessed in science and social studies. High school students take an end-of-course assessment for each of the ten courses designated by the State Board of Education.
Features of the Georgia Milestone Assessment System include:
- open-ended (constructed-response) items in English Language Arts and mathematics (all grades and courses);
- a writing component (in response to passages read by students) at every grade level and course within the English Language Arts assessment;
- norm-referenced items in all content areas and courses, to complement the criterion-referenced information and to provide a national comparison; and
- transition to online administration over time, with online administration, considered the primary mode of administration and paper-pencil as back-up until the transition is complete.
What is the purpose of Georgia Milestones?
The Georgia Milestones Assessment System is designed to provide information about how well students are mastering the state-adopted content standards in the core content areas of English Language Arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Importantly, Georgia Milestones is designed to provide students with critical information about their own achievement and their readiness for their next level of learning – be it the next grade, the next course, or endeavor (college or career). Informing parents, educators, and the public about how well students are learning important content is an essential aspect of any educational assessment and accountability system. Parents, the public, and policymakers, including local school districts and boards of education, can use the results as a barometer of the quality of educational opportunity provided throughout the state of Georgia. As such, Georgia Milestones serves as a key component of the state’s accountability system – the College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI).
What content areas and grade levels are tested?
Students at the high school level will take an end-of-course assessment in the following ten courses:
- English Language Arts
- Ninth Grade Literature and Composition
- American Literature and Composition
- Mathematics
- Algebra I or Coordinate Algebra
- Geometry or Analytic Geometry
- Science
- Biology
- Physical Science
- Social Studies
- United States History
- Economics/Business/Free Enterprise
The end-of-course measures are administered at the completion of the course, regardless of the grade level. These measures serve as the final exam for the course and contribute 20% to the student’s final course grade. Each school district selects a local testing window, based on their local school calendar, from within the state-designated testing window. Middle school students who are enrolled in one or more of these courses are required to take the associated end-of-course (EOC) measure. If enrolled in mathematics and/or science EOC course, these middle school students will not take the corresponding content area end-of-grade (EOG) measure.
ACCESS for ELLs
Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State to State for English Language Learners (ACCESS for ELLs)
ACCESS for ELLs is administered, annually, to all English learners in Georgia. ACCESS for ELLs is a standards-based, criterion-referenced English language proficiency test designed to measure English learners’ social and academic proficiency in English. It assesses social and instructional English as well as the language associated with language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies within the school context across the four language domains. ACCESS for ELLs meets the federal requirements that mandate require states to evaluate EL students in grades K through 12 on their progress in learning to speak English.
ACCESS for ELLs is used to determine the English language proficiency levels and progress of ELs in the domains of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. ACCESS for ELLs serves five main purposes. These include:
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determining the English language proficiency level of students;
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providing districts with information that will help them evaluate the effectiveness of their ESOL programs;
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providing information that enhances instruction and learning in programs for English language learners;
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assessing annual English language proficiency gains using a standards-based assessment instrument;
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providing data for meeting federal and state requirements with respect to student assessment.
Alternate ACCESS for ELLs is a recently developed, individually administered test. It is intended only for English learners with significant cognitive disabilities that are severe enough to prevent meaningful participation in the ACCESS for ELLs assessment. Alternate ACCESS for ELLs is not intended for ELs who can be served with special education accommodations on ACCESS for ELLs. Decisions regarding a student's participation must be made by an IEP team.
Participation Criteria:
1. The student has been classified as an EL.
2. The student has been classified as a special education student and is receiving special education services.
3. The student has a significant cognitive disability.
4. The student participates in the Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA).
Importantly, students shall not be administered both the Alternate ACCESS for ELLs and the ACCESS for ELLs.
The Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA)
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) require that states ensure all students, including those with significant cognitive disabilities, have access to challenging academic standards and participate in the state’s assessment program. The U.S. Department of Education defines alternate achievement standards as establishing performance expectations that differ in complexity from grade-level achievement standards. These standards must be aligned with the state’s content standards, promote access to the general content standards, and articulate the highest achievement levels possible for the individual student. This means teachers may customize learning expectations for students who participate in alternate assessments.
For students with disabilities, each student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) team determines how the student shall participate in Georgia’s student assessment program. If a student’s IEP team determines that a student cannot meaningfully access the Georgia Milestones Assessment System, even with maximum appropriate accommodations, then the student must participate in the GAA 2.0.
The GAA 2.0 is designed to ensure that students with significant cognitive disabilities are provided access to the state academic content standards and given the opportunity to demonstrate achievement of the knowledge, concepts, and skills inherent in the standards.
This assessment will provide meaningful information about classroom instruction and help identify students’ areas of strength and improvement through standardized tests. Unlike the original GAA, GAA 2.0 is not a portfolio-based assessment. Thus, it will measure students’ achievement and not progress. The GAA 2.0 will be administered to all eligible students in the following areas:
- Grades K, 3-8, and 11 will be assessed in English language arts and mathematics.
- Grades 5, 8, and 11 will also be assessed in science and social studies.
The GAA 2.0 will include standardized items with multiple access points. The intent is to reduce the teacher’s burden related to selecting or developing tasks; bring greater standardization to the administration; improve scoring reliability; and introduce an online task submission system.
The website will be updated as key information and resources are received and developed.
Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (GKIDS)
The Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (GKIDS) is a year-long, performance-based assessment aligned to the state-mandated content standards. The goal of the assessment program is to provide teachers with information about the level of instructional support needed by individual students entering kindergarten and first grade. GKIDS will allow teachers to assess student performance during instruction, record student performance in an online database, and generate reports for instructional planning, progress reports, report cards, SST, and/or parent conferences. Throughout the year, teachers may assess students and record GKIDS data based on their system’s curriculum map or report card schedule. At the end of the year, summary reports and individual student reports will be generated based on the data the teacher has entered throughout the year.
Purpose
The primary purpose of GKIDS is to provide ongoing diagnostic information about kindergarten students’ developing skills in English Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Personal/Social Development, and Approaches to Learning. GKIDS will also provide a summary of student performance in English Language Arts and Mathematics at the end of the kindergarten school year. GKIDS should serve as one indicator of first-grade readiness. GKIDS will serve both a formative and summative role in assessing kindergarten students.
Domains of Learning
There are seven areas or domains of learning that are assessed as part of GKIDS:
- English Language Arts
- Mathematics
- Social Studies (optional)
- Science (optional)
- Approaches to Learning
- Personal and Social Development
- Motor Skills (optional)
GKIDS is aligned to the state's mandated content standards in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. There are also three non-academic domains that contribute to a student’s readiness for first grade (Approaches to Learning, Personal and Social Development, and Motor Skills). The domains of Social Studies, Science, and Motor Skills are optional. Systems may require teachers to use GKIDS to collect and report information locally on student performance in these areas, but this data will not be part of the end-of-the-year report, and it is not required to be entered into the GKIDS Data Entry and Reporting website unless required by the system. Systems have the option of requiring only some elements of Social Studies, Science, or Motor Skills to be assessed, all of the elements of these domains to be assessed, or none of the elements of these domains to be assessed. Many standards have multiple elements. In GKIDS, students are assessed at the element level, where possible.
ELA, Math, Social Studies, and Science standards will be assessed using two to five performance levels for each element.
- Not Yet Demonstrated
- Emerging
- Progressing
- Meets the Standard
- Exceeds the Standard
Non-Academic Domains
There are three non-academic areas that can be assessed using GKIDS: Approaches to Learning, Personal and Social Development, and Motor Skills. The Motor Skills domain is optional. Teachers may choose to record motor skills data only for students that demonstrate an area of concern. Students are assessed using the following performance levels:
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Area of Concern
- Developing
- Consistently Demonstrating
The number of levels was determined by the GKIDS Advisory Committee and will be specific to each element of the content standards. The number of performance levels is based on the range of student performance that can be observed for each element.
Flexible Model of Assessment
GKIDS does not have specified assessment activities. The teacher (or local system) decides which assessment activities to use and how frequently to assess. Teachers may use assessment activities that cover multiple elements at one time and/or assess multiple children at a single setting. Teachers may assess by observing student performance during the course of regular classroom instruction or by an assessment activity of the teacher’s choice. Because teachers have the freedom to assess according to the individual needs of each student, standard accommodations are allowed if the accommodations are a part of the student’s IEP, IAP, or ELL/TPC plan.
Approaches to Learning
The Approaches to Learning domain of GKIDS includes the following three general categories:
- Curiosity and Initiative/Creativity/Problem Solving
- Attention/Engagement/Persistence
Personal Development
- Demonstrates self-confidence/positive attitude
- Adjusts well to changes in routines and environments
- Expresses emotions and needs through appropriate words and actions
Social Development
- Treats others with respect in words and actions
- Shows caring for others
- Follows directions and school rules
- Respects the property of others
- Works cooperatively with others
Motor Skills
Statements of observable student behaviors related to fine and gross motor skills are assessed in this category.
Testing Windows
Except for the end of year summary report, there are no state-mandated testing windows for GKIDS. Systems may require testing windows based on their own unique schedules, reporting information at any time as required by the local district. Systems may also teach and assess the state's content standards based upon their own schedules as well.
Testing Materials
Pre-printed test booklets and activity kits will not be provided with GKIDS. This Administration Manual includes an assessment page for each element of the CCGPS and GPS. The assessment page contains the CCGPS and GPS standard and element, performance levels for assessing the element, sample assessment activities, and instructional suggestions for teachers and/or parents. These assessment pages are arranged by domain in sections 2-5 of this manual. Some elements also have resource pages that can be used to assess or document student performance. Teachers may use common classroom materials for assessment activities. Rather than recording student performance on an answer document, teachers will use the GKIDS Data Entry and Reporting Website.
GKIDS Data Entry and Reporting Website
The GKIDS data entry and reporting website will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (except for scheduled maintenance) for teachers to enter student data. The web address is https://gkids.tsars.uga.edu/start. The website allows teachers to enter and manage data throughout the school year. Teachers can enter data by student or by element for the entire class. See section X of the Administration Manual for GKIDS website instructions.
Teacher-Generated (Formative) Reports
Teachers have the option of generating reports (on-screen and PDF) at any time during the year for instructional planning, progress reports, report cards, SST or parent conferences. On the website, teachers can select a student report by element, standard, or strand. These reports will indicate data the teacher has entered for all domains. A class report is also available. See Section XI of the Administration Manual for sample reports.
End-of-the-Year (Summative) Reports
After the final data is entered in late spring, an individual student report can be generated which will include English Language Arts, Mathematics, Approaches to Learning, and Personal and Social Development. School, system, and state summary reports created at the end of the year will include only English Language Arts, Mathematics, Approaches to Learning and Personal/Social Development.
