State school officials haven’t yet adjusted the cut scores for the Criterion Referenced Competency Test, but they did adjust the percentage of students making acceptable scores necessary for a school to make AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress.)
An unusually high percentage of students failed math and reading portions of the test they are required to pass in order to be promoted to the next grade. About 280 Bulloch County students are taking summer remediation classes in preparation for a retest, hoping to pass, said Bulloch County School Superintendent Dr. Lewis Holloway.
While students, teachers and parents still hope the state will adjust the scoring, citing the test was unfair and covered material that was not taught, school officials are happy with the state’s decision regarding AYP requirements, he said.
Superintendents across the state received a letter from state school superintendent Kathy Cox announcing the decision.
In the letter, Cox said “I spoke to Education Secretary Margaret Spellings ... and she has endorsed our decision to reset the Annual Measurable Objectives (AMO) for mathematics in grades 3-8. For this year and next year, our AMO for grades 3-8 mathematics will be 59.5 percent (our initial AMO was 66.7 percent). “
Cox said a conference call for school superintendents and other state school officials will be held Friday at 9 a.m.
Holloway said while he is pleased with the decision about the AYP requirements, he hopes the state will still adjust scoring requisites for students to pass the CRCT and be promoted.
As it stands, students who did not pass the CRCT requirements are still taking remediation classes, and will get a chance to take the test again.
The test will likely have different questions than the original, but he material will be the same, he said.
If a student does not pass the test the second time with scores adequate for promotion, there is still the possibility a student could be promoted anyway, Holloway said.
“If they fail the second CRCT, they can appeal to the school,” he said. “There will be a meeting with the principal, teacher and parents, who will make a pass/fail decision, which must be unanimous.”
He said he is still hopeful the state will make a decision to change CRCT requirements, but is pleased with the decision to lower AYP requisites.
Holli Deal Bragg may be reached at 489-9414.
An unusually high percentage of students failed math and reading portions of the test they are required to pass in order to be promoted to the next grade. About 280 Bulloch County students are taking summer remediation classes in preparation for a retest, hoping to pass, said Bulloch County School Superintendent Dr. Lewis Holloway.
While students, teachers and parents still hope the state will adjust the scoring, citing the test was unfair and covered material that was not taught, school officials are happy with the state’s decision regarding AYP requirements, he said.
Superintendents across the state received a letter from state school superintendent Kathy Cox announcing the decision.
In the letter, Cox said “I spoke to Education Secretary Margaret Spellings ... and she has endorsed our decision to reset the Annual Measurable Objectives (AMO) for mathematics in grades 3-8. For this year and next year, our AMO for grades 3-8 mathematics will be 59.5 percent (our initial AMO was 66.7 percent). “
Cox said a conference call for school superintendents and other state school officials will be held Friday at 9 a.m.
Holloway said while he is pleased with the decision about the AYP requirements, he hopes the state will still adjust scoring requisites for students to pass the CRCT and be promoted.
As it stands, students who did not pass the CRCT requirements are still taking remediation classes, and will get a chance to take the test again.
The test will likely have different questions than the original, but he material will be the same, he said.
If a student does not pass the test the second time with scores adequate for promotion, there is still the possibility a student could be promoted anyway, Holloway said.
“If they fail the second CRCT, they can appeal to the school,” he said. “There will be a meeting with the principal, teacher and parents, who will make a pass/fail decision, which must be unanimous.”
He said he is still hopeful the state will make a decision to change CRCT requirements, but is pleased with the decision to lower AYP requisites.
Holli Deal Bragg may be reached at 489-9414.