ATLANTA -- In the spring, Georgia public school students will take a brand new test that nobody's seen because it's still being developed.
The good news is it's not tied to whether children are promoted to the next grade.
But, the test will be very different from standardized tests like the CRCT that students took for 14 years in Georgia.
There's no teaching to the test in Georgia public schools these days because there IS no test. Not yet. The new Georgia Milestones, which will replace the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) and End of Course Tests (EOCT) is under construction.
Students will take it the spring of 2014 and it will be different from the standardized tests like the CRCT that students took for 14 years in Georgia.
"They're going to have to be able to explain work. They're going to have to reason, problem solve," said Georgia state School Superintendent Dr. John Barge.
In addition, after a phase-in over several years, all students will take Georgia Milestone tests online. No more paper tests.
But, the biggest change is it will include a LOT more writing with short-answer and open-ended questions.
"It's not going to be just a multiple choice test. We're going to be asking students to think critically, to problem-solve. To be able to cite information in a text and go beyond words," said Barge.
How different is the test?
Here are same questions provided by the Georgia PTA and approved by the Georgia Department of Education.
Example of a 3rd grade math question:
Hector is studying his multiplication facts through the product of 10x10.
Hector says that any multiple of 6 can be divided into 3 equal groups.
Is Hector correct? Explain your answer using words, symbols, or pictures.
Example of an 11th grade English question:
Read an excerpt from the novel "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen and answer the following:
Write a paragraph in which you describe, in detail, the tone of the excerpt, using specific examples to support your description.
Use details from the text to support your answer. Answer with complete sentences, and use correct punctuation and grammar.
Example of a 6th grade ELA (English Language Arts) question:
Read the passage "Kayaking for Fun and Sport."
1. Give three details from the passage to explain and support how kayaking became a sport and recreational activity. Answer with complete sentences and use correct punctuation and grammar.
2. Write a narrative in which a kayaker meets a person in a canoe and the two compare their watercrafts. Use details from the text to support your answer and use correct punctuation and grammar.
"It's more than just selecting an answer, but it's explaining why that information is correct," said Barge.
For more on Georgia Milestone from the PTA, go to:
