Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Georgia change assessments?

Georgia changed assessments because the former testing programs no longer met the needs of students,
parents, schools, and districts.
Under the former testing programs, Georgia had some of the lowest achievement expectations in the
nation. Georgias commitment to providing a truer picture of student achievement was important in
the development of the new assessment. Historically, Georgia has been portrayed as a state with one
of the largest honesty gaps, based on the differences between the former CRCT & EOCT scores and
scores on national assessments such as the NAEP. In short, Georgia Milestones provides a more
accurate view of where we are and where we need to focus our attention, to ensure that all students
are ready for success at the next level and can compete with their peers from across our nation.

What are some key differences between previous state tests and Georgia Milestones assessments?

The GMAS includes open-ended test items in English/language arts and mathematics, which is
a significant change that allows students to explain their answers and more clearly
demonstrate what they know.

Writing is assessed within the GMAS rather than as a stand-alone test.

The GMAS provides a National Percentile Rank (NPR) score, which shows how well a student
performed compared to peers in the same grade level, based on test items that reflect
content that is commonly taught across the nation.

While the former writing assessments, CRCT, and EOCT reported student performance along
three performance levels, the GMAS reports four performance levels. This allows students,
parents, and schools to have a more precise indication of student achievement.

What are the achievement levels for Georgia Milestones?

Georgia Milestones reports student achievement in four levels Distinguished Learner, Proficient
Learner, Developing Learner, and Beginning Learner.

Beginning Learners: These students do not yet demonstrate proficiency in the knowledge and
skills specified in Georgias content standards. The students need substantial academic
support to be prepared for the next grade level or course and to be on track for college and
career readiness.
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Developing Learners: These students demonstrate partial proficiency in the knowledge and
skills specified by Georgias content standards. The students need additional academic
support to ensure success in the next grade level or course and to be on track for college and
career readiness.

Proficient Learners: These students demonstrate proficiency in the knowledge and skills
specified in Georgias content standards. The students are prepared for the next grade level
or course and are on track for college and career readiness.

Distinguished Learners: These students demonstrate advanced proficiency in the knowledge

and skills specified in Georgias content standards. The students are well prepared for the
next grade level or course and are prepared for college and career readiness.

I heard that the Georgia Milestones is harder than our previous tests and that state results are lower
this year than in previous years. Is this true? Does this mean that students are doing worse?
Georgia Milestones preliminary state-level results did, in fact, indicate that fewer students in Georgia
will score as proficient. This does not mean that Georgias students know less, or are performing worse,
than in recent years. In fact, Georgias students have shown improvement on many indicators, such as
the NAEP, SAT, and ACT. The achievement standards (expectations) recommended by Georgia
educators for Georgia Milestones simply reflect the greater demands of todays academic, college, and
career settings and the stiff competition that students will face as they move into their post-secondary
experiences and/or the workforce after high school.

How will the Georgia Milestones scores impact my student?

Beginning with the spring 2016 administration, GMAS End of Grade results will be one factor that
may be used in the decision to promote or retain students in grades 3, 5, and 8.
Students in grades 3, 5, and 8 may be subject to retention if the Reading portion of the GMAS
ELA test is Below Grade Level.
Students in grades 5 and 8 may also be subject to retention if the GMAS Math score is at the
Beginning Learner performance level.
The scores that you are now receiving from the 2014-15 school year did not and will not
impact students current grade level placement.
For students taking the high school GMAS End of Course assessments, beginning in SY 2015-16 the
GMAS will serve as the final exam and will count as 20% of the students final grade.

When will I get my childs GMAS scores?

Scores for GMAS tests that students took during SY 2014-15 will be available during the winter of SY
2015-16.
Update: Parent copies of student results began to arrive in the district at the end of November. Parents
will soon begin receiving the score reports from their students current school. For students who are not
currently attending the school at which they completed testing last year, the score reports must be
forwarded to the current school for distribution. This includes students who transitioned from an
elementary to a middle school site, or from a K8 or middle school to high school. Please be aware that
records for any student who is not currently enrolled at the school where they completed testing last
year will take additional time to process.
We do not yet have an anticipated delivery date for parent copies of student results for the GMAS
tests that students will take in SY 2015-16. More information will be provided as it becomes
available.

Where can I go to learn more about the GMAS tests?

Click here to access additional GMAS information from the Georgia Department of Education.