A lot of Georgia students will be left doing the math this summer, as predicted by school systems throughout the state, after reviewing unofficial test results of the 2008 Criterion-Reference Competency Test.

As part of the No Child Left Behind Act, which began under a Federal effort to equalize education throughout the nation, the CRCT has been used to measure subject comprehension and performance of Georgia students grades K-8.

Although national passing averages are set higher each year, CRCT guidelines require that students in grades 3, 5, 8, meet standards in certain areas in order to be promoted to the next grade. This year, as preliminary results of the 2008 CRCT math data reflect below average performance of eighth-grade students in Georgia, local school systems are joining others around the state in preparing students to pass the test during summer school.

“Superintendent Kathy Cox had a conference call yesterday and the data is similar statewide, and so they’re gong to go back and look at some things that possibly need to be changed,” said Marty Roesch, assistant superintendent for the Valdosta City School System. “Right now we’re gearing up to try and help kids get remediated in the areas that they scored lowest in.”

Referred to by State Superintendent of Schools, Kathy Cox, as a “temporary dip,” according to a press release issued by the State Department of Education, this year’s score data shows only about 40 percent of Georgia students reaching the performance mark in math.

“While we do not have statewide results yet, it appears that the pass rate on the eighth-grade mathematics test will be around 60 percent,” said Cox in a GDOE press release.

Looking to reasons for the lower-than-average CRCT Math performance among eighth graders, Cox points to the introduction of a new and tougher education model — Georgia Performance Standards.

“The eighth-grade mathematics GPS — and the CRCT — are very rigorous,” stated Cox in the same press release. “For instance, up until last year, only a small number of students were exposed to Algebra in grade 8. This year, every eighth grader is taking Algebra, as well as Statistics and Geometry.”

A former math teacher and middle school principal, Roesch attests to the greater challenge being placed upon today’s middle school students.

“Math has always been one of the weaker academic areas in the state of Georgia and it’s something that the state is trying to beef up, and they have been doing that with the new GPS,” Roesch said. “What I tell parents is that the math we were doing in high school, our kids are now doing in middle school. And Algebra is a very abstract concept, and some of the kids simply have difficulty learning it at this point in school.”

As implementation of the new math standards just recently began, this year’s class of eighth graders have been the first ‘test group’ of the new standards each year of their middle school education.

“This group was the first group to go through middle, who have been taught and tested on the new performance standards each year that they progress,” said Roesch. “The first test is always tough, but each year the new group of sixth graders coming in has done progressively better.”

According to Roesch, in looking at scores within the Valdosta system, although scores are lower than the average set by the state, this group of students as a whole are relatively maintaining their performance.

“They (eighth graders) are the group that started it all, and when we changed to GPS, scores went down compared to eighth graders who were tested on QCC (Quality Core Curriculum — the state’s former education model),” said Roesch. “The scores this year are fairly similar to what these students scored as sixth graders though.”

Currently, as the Valdosta and Lowndes Systems are preparing to offer separate summer school sessions for middle school students, both are using the preliminary CRCT result data as guidelines while working to improve curriculum and instruction.

“Right now, teachers have been looking at the data and providing remediation so that students don’t have to wait to get started in summer school,” said Heather Bonner, director of Public Relations for Lowndes County School System. “And once they start summer school, teachers will know exactly what standards each student needs help in, and will be able to provide individualize instruction based on this data. Also, our teachers are using the domain data to determine what they need to do differently next year.”

On a higher level, GDOE officials will use the test result data to determine necessary revisions for next year’s CRCT.

“When I worked with the State DOE as a science specialist, we used the CRCT result data to help us to provide the science curriculum with a few things that need to be clarified within lessons,” Bonner said. “The test is revised each year actually because they want to make sure it’s a living document, and that it’s improved upon each year.“

Still, while the dip was expected, eighth graders (along with fifth graders) who did not pass the math portion of the CRCT, must retake the test before promotion is considered.

“Eighth graders must take a re-test, and if that is failed at that point, a special committee could override the CRCT results, but the case must be reviewed before a student is considered eligible for promotion to the next grade,” Bonner said.

According to Bonner, if the committee does choose to override the CRCT results and promote the child, “It’s done so, only with a plan that the student will receive the necessary remediation in the next grade to address the areas that they performed poorly in.”

Despite the performance of this year’s eighth graders, the state has not left its students or educators behind, as Cox shared GDOE plans to support summer school and other tutoring efforts all around Georgia.

“We realize these results have a big impact on the number of students who must re-test under the state’s promotion and retention policy…These results could also affect the status of schools under No Child Left Behind,” state Cox in a GDOE press release. “We are working on some policy and budgetary flexibility to assist systems.”

Those efforts were listed by Cox in the GDOE press release as:

“• Money will be available for systems to use to offset increased summer school costs.

• We are asking systems to keep detailed records on the costs of remediation and re-testing so we can champion for additional funds, if needed.

• In regards to NCLB, we asked earlier this year for an adjustment to the annual academic goals in math to adjust for the rigor of the curriculum. These goals — called Annual Measurable Objectives — were set before the new curriculum was written. We will continue to pursue this flexibility.”

Looking toward the future of education, Cox anticipates that as the GDOE works to align GPS with national standards, and then, to align the state’s testing module more directly with lessons taught in Georgia classrooms, students in Georgia will begin to move up the ranks of education in all performance areas.

“I know in future years, we will see improved scores in eighth-grade mathematics, just like we are seeing in other areas of the new curriculum,” Cox stated in a GDOE press release. “And it’s important to note that this year’s 8th graders are better prepared for high school mathematics than ever before and will be more competitive in the 21st century.”

Official CRCT scores are expected to be released next month. School systems will notify parents of summer school and re-testing options as results are returned.