Georgia Milestones Parent Night

Tosha Oliver, Assistant PrincipalJamar Robinson, Administrative Assistant

March 5, 2015

Welcome and Purpose of Session• To inform parents about the new Georgia Milestones

Assessments• Share up to date information on EOC Spring Test-Out• Share updates on SAT Re-Design

Georgia Milestones Purpose

Georgia Milestones is designed to provide information about how well students are mastering the state adopted content standards in the core content areasof English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, andSocial Studies.

Assessment Question TypesGeorgia Milestones includes the item types described below:

• 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 assessments

• Nationally norm-referenced items in all content areas and courses to complement the Georgia criterion-referenced information and to provide a national comparison

• Multiple-choice items in all content areas and courses.

Modes of Assessments• Georgia Milestones will be transitioned to online testing over time. Online

is considered the primary mode of testing, with paper-and-pencil available as backup until the transition is complete.

• Online Assessments-Physical Science Economics Biology U. S. History

• Paper/Pencil Assessments-Coordinate Algebra Analytic Geometry American Literature 9th Grade Literature

Georgia Milestones Spring Schedule

• Monday, April 27th-29th

9th Grade Literature, American Literature, Biology

• Thursday, April 30th-May 1st

9th Grade Literature & American Literature (Writing Only), Economics

• Monday, May 4th-6th Coordinate Algebra, Analytic Geometry, U.S. History

• Thursday, May 7th-8th Physical Science

GA Milestones Resources• Resources to help your student prepare for Georgia Milestones

are available on the Georgia Department of Education’s website at http://testing.gadoe.org

• To see what online testing is like, you and your student may visit the Experience Online Testing Georgia website at http://learnoas.ctb.com/GA

• The items on the demonstration tests are general and represent multiple grade levels. They do not assess student achievement.

Online Tools Available for All Students• Blocking Tool• Highlighter• Eraser• Magnifying Glass • Mark for Review• Online Calculator – if allowable• Option Eliminator• Scratch Pad (Unavailable for iPAD until Spring 2015)

EOC GA Milestones DiagnosticsWednesday, March 11th-13th

Biology 9th Grade LiteraturePhysical Science 11th Grade Literature

Tuesday, March 17th-19th

U.S. History Coordinate AlgebraEconomics Analytic Geometry

EOC Spring Test-Out• The state allows students the opportunity to test-out

of any course for which there is an associated Georgia Milestones End of Course (EOC) and earn credit for the course through that process. Course credit shall only be awarded to students who reach the performance level of Exceeds on an EOC taken prior to taking the course.

EOC Spring Test-OutStudent Eligibility Requirements:

• The student has never been enrolled in the course.

• The student must have earned a minimum numerical grade of 80 in a prerequisite course in the same content area as the selected EOC.

• The student must receive recommendations from his/her school counselor

AND from his/her teacher for the prerequisite course.

• The student must receive parent/guardian permission if the student is less than 18 years of age. Students 18 or over and emancipated minor students may complete the permission form themselves.

EOC Test-Out Score Reporting• Due to the first year of Georgia Milestones implementation,

students will not receive results until fall 2015. This could impact scheduling for next school year.

• Students are strongly encouraged to attend tutorials each week on Tuesday and Thursday in the Fall to stay abreast of course work for the next progression in the content sequence to prevent missing pertinent foundational skills for that course should they earn the score required to receive course credit for the course for which they attempted to test-out.

SAT Re-Design• The new PSAT goes into effect this year, October

2015• The first new SAT is in March 2016 (last SAT using

the current version of the test is in January 2016)• College Board full length practice tests for PSAT/SAT

will be released next month• Colleges will most likely accept both old and new

scores once the test changes

SAT Re-Design What’s New?• The test is primarily meant to align with the Common

Core Competencies

• The new test will not directly test vocabulary

• There will be no penalty for wrong answers

SAT Re-Design What’s New?• More algebra, less geometry; students will also need to be accountable for

remembering more definitions, formulas and math structures than they currently need to

• More ACT-style interpretation of charts, tables and graphs

• The new Essay section is optional (but all students need to take it at least once, like the current version of the ACT). The essay will also be different - more challenging and analytical (more like a college essay assignment.

• More Information on the New SAT can be found at:https://www.applerouth.com/blog/2015/01/14/raising-the-bar-with-the-new-sat/

EOC Break Out Sessions9th Grade Parents

Biology-Lewis (room 405)9th Grade Literature-Holliman (room 411)Coordinate Algebra-Gladden (room 415)

10th Grade ParentsPhysical Science-

Jackson (room 403)Analytical Geometry-Paschal (room 417)

11th Grade ParentsAmerican Literature-

Hernandez (room 413)U.S. History Garza (room 417)

12th Grade ParentsEconomics-Barker

(room 422)