Students show strong improvement on math Georgia Milestones – an early indicator of success for new math standards

Georgia students showed strong improvement on the 2023-24 Georgia Milestones mathematics assessments – scores increased on six of the seven tests. Several assessments saw particularly high growth, including eight-point increases in eighth-grade math and high-school Algebra.

 

Math results are being released now because the assessments were updated to align with the new K-12 Mathematics Standards first implemented during the 2023-24 school year. Results for ELA, science, and social studies were released in July. A review of all results shows significant improvement – scores increased or held steady for 16 of the 20 ELA, science, social studies, and mathematics assessments.

Links to Scores: Click Here

“Reviewing these results, I am extremely proud of Georgia students and our mathematics teachers and leaders throughout the state, along with all those who contributed to the review and redesign of Georgia’s K-12 mathematics standards,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “Thousands of Georgians participated in the process of creating the new standards – they are truly Georgia-owned and Georgia-grown, and these scores are an early indicator of success for that work.”

 

Specifically, the percentage of students achieving the Proficient Learner achievement level or above increased on six of the seven End of Grade (EOG) and End of Course (EOC) mathematics assessments. The percentage of students achieving the Developing Learner achievement level or above increased or held steady on all seven assessments.

 

Comparison of 2022-23 to 2023-24		EOG	EOC	Combined
Proficient Learner & Above	increased	5	1	6
	same	0	0	0
	decreased	1	0	1
Developing Learner & Above	increased	5	1	6
	same	1	0	1
	decreased	0	0	0

 

About the New Mathematics Standards

Adopted in 2021 and first implemented in classrooms during the 2023-24 school year, Georgia’s K-12 Mathematics Standards were drafted by Georgia mathematics teachers with input from educational leaders, parents, students, and business and industry leaders.

 

The new standards are designed to be clear, understandable, and age- and developmentally appropriate. They aim to present a reasonable amount of content in each year – so students can truly master concepts, rather than simply being quickly exposed to them.

 

To support students in all subject areas, GaDOE has expanded the grade levels covered by the BEACON formative assessment – which is aligned to Georgia Milestones and provided at no cost to Georgia school districts – and made robust tutoring options available through the GaTutor program in high school and the AmeriCorps tutoring program.

 

About Georgia Milestones

Students take Georgia Milestones End of Grade (EOG) tests in grades 3-8, and Georgia Milestones End of Course (EOC) tests in identified high school courses. The Georgia Milestones Assessment System meets the federal requirement that states test students in math and ELA in grades 3-8 and once in high school, and in science once per grade band (3-5, 6-9, 10-12).

 

Georgia Milestones assesses student learning along four levels of achievement: Beginning Learners, Developing Learners, Proficient Learners, and Distinguished Learners.

 

When Georgia Milestones was developed, the state used the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) – a national assessment also known as the “Nation’s Report Card” – as a point of reference during standard setting. It is important to note that, while NAEP Proficient is often assumed to mean “on grade level,” with a goal of 100% of students achieving the Proficient achievement level, this is not the case.

 

According to the National Assessment Governing Board, NAEP Proficient specifically refers to competency over challenging subject matter. For example, in the most recent NAEP sample for fourth-grade mathematics, the highest-performing state (Wyoming) saw 44% of students at or above NAEP Proficient.

 

Note on Comparability: Due to standard-setting aligned to the new mathematics standards, some score elements are not comparable to previous years. Scale scores, the percentages of students in the Beginning Learner and Developing Learner levels, the percentage of students at Developing Learner or Above, and the percentage of students at Proficient Learner and above are all comparable. The percentages of students in the Proficient Learner and Distinguished Learner levels are not comparable to previous years. All scores highlighted in this release are directly comparable to previous years.​

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