VALDOSTA — Fifth-graders who do not achieve grade level or better scores on the upcoming Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Tests in reading and mathematics will not be promoted to the sixth grade.

This is in compliance with the Georgia Promotion, Placement, and Retention law and a corresponding State Board of Education rule. With regards to fifth graders, these policies became effective with the 2004-05 school year.

“I am confident these students will do well on the tests,” said Valdosta City School System Superintendent Sam Allen. “They have gained the knowledge needed and know what to expect.”

With the initial implementation of the state law and rule in 2003-04, Allen expressed concerned over the usage of a “high stakes” test as the single measure of a student’s academic abilities. He stressed that a variety of measures should be used and said, “It’s as if state leaders are taking the whole 180 days of classroom instruction and grading and throwing it out the window.”

Although confident his students will perform well on the Georgia CRCT,

Allen said remains troubled by thoughts that such actions will lead to an increase in the dropout rate. He said students who are retained because they are unable to perform at an established academic minimum — even though they are performing at a personal best — are likely to become discouraged and frustrated.

“Our leaders are sending mixed signals,” he said recently. “They want to decrease the dropout rate yet they are raising the bar so high many kids will never reach it.”



AFTER SCHOOLS

RECEIVE THE SCORES

It’s important for parents and guardians of fifth grade students to be aware that failing the spring reading and mathematics CRCT does not necessarily result in mandatory retention. A number of procedures are in place to ensure the promotion of as many fifth graders as possible.

l Initial Parental Notification — Parents and guardians of those fifth graders who do not score at or above grade level on the reading and mathematics CRCT will be notified of the opportunity for summer instruction. School principals are required to mail those letters within 10 days of receiving the test results.

Summer Instruction — All fifth graders who fail to perform at or above grade level on the reading and mathematics CRCT, including those who scored poorly on a single domain, will be required to attend additional differentiated, or accelerated instruction during the summer, according to the Georgia Department of Education. Georgia leaders define additional instruction as “academic instruction beyond the regularly scheduled academic classes that is designed to bring students to standard.” Differentiated instruction is “designed to meet individual student learning needs.” State officials describe accelerated instruction as “challenging instructional activities that are intensely focused on student academic deficiencies …”

Opportunity to Retest — Only after receiving additional, differentiated, or accelerated instruction will those fifth graders be allowed to sit for a retest. School officials are allowed to administer the retest as soon as they feel a students are ready. According to the state testing contract with Riverside Publishing Company, tests will be scored and returned to the school systems within two weeks.

Further Notification of Retention — Parents and guardians of those students who fail to perform at or above grade level on the retest will be notified by mail. At that time, school officials will inform them of their intentions to retain their child in the fifth grade.

Retention Appeals — An opportunity will be provided for parents and guardians to appeal the retention decision. A placement committee will hear all appeals. In order for a student to be promoted, he decision of the placement committee must be a unanimous one.



A LOOK BACK AT THE THIRD GRADERS



The Georgia Promotion, Placement, and Retention law and corresponding State Board of Education rule compliance kicked off during the 2003-04 school year with third graders. In order to be promoted to the fourth grade, these students had to perform at or above grade level on the Georgia CRCT in reading.

Out of the Valdosta City School System’s 564 third graders, 61 scored below 300, the cutoff score for their level on the reading test. Allen said a majority of those were special education students

Fifty-two of those students attended summer school and sat for a second administration of the reading exam. Of those, 38 passed. Ten of the 14 who failed the second time around were special education students.

Nine students chose not to participate in the summer program.

In the end, however, only two students were retained in the third grade because “it was in their best interest,” Allen said.

Although Georgia leaders anticipated the worse, Allen said students and teachers refused to give up, remaining focused on the Quality Core Curriculum instruction. He said the students were taught well and, therefore, expected to perform well.

“Sometimes we underestimate a child’s ability,” he continued. “But, if we expect them to live up to an established standard, they will work hard to rise to the occasion. They worked hard because that’s what was expected of them. We never spoke of failure.”

Of the Lowndes County School System’s 680 third graders, only 15 failed to achieve grade level or better scores on the reading CRCT. About half of those were special education students.

“To have that low of a number in special education who did not make it is phenomenal,” said Superintendent Dr. Steve Smith. “It just shows that all of our teachers, special education and regular education, did a phenomenal job. I have to say, I was expecting (the test scores) to be good. However, I never thought they’d end up being as good as they were. We simply had nothing to base things on. It’s a very pleasant surprise.”

Smith said 13 of the 15 who failed the reading CRCT chose to attend summer school and retake the exam. Three of his students were retained in the third grade.



IMPLEMENTATION OF OTHER TESTING RULES



According to state law and rules, eighth grade students who do not perform at or above grade level in reading and mathematics on the Georgia CRCT by the end of the 2005-06 school year will not be promoted to the ninth grade.



CRCT OVERVIEW



The CRCT is designed to measure how well a student has mastered the skills and knowledge set forth in the Quality Core Curriculum.

Georgia law requires that all students in grades first through eighth take the CRCT in the content areas of reading, English/language arts, and mathematics. Students in grades three through eight are also assessed in science and social studies.

The CRCT was implemented in spring 2000, with students in grades four, six, and eight taking tests in reading, English/language arts, and mathematics. Assessments in science and social studies in grades three through eight and assessments in reading, English/language arts, and mathematics in grades one, two, three, five, and seven were administered for the first time in spring 2002.

Valdosta City School System and Lowndes County School System students will take the CRCT April 11-18.