Standardized Testing
As required by the No Child LeftBehind Act, students in US public schools participate in annual standardizedassessments to measure their academic progress. According to NCLB, students mustdemonstrate that they are on grade level in reading and math in certain gatewaygrades in order to be promoted to the next grade. You can find more informationabout the testing requirements of NCLB at: http://www.ed.gov/nclb/accountability/ayp/testing-faq.html
InGeorgia,the NCLB required assessment is the Criterion Referenced Competency Test forstudents in grades 1-8. Georgialaw, as amended by the A+ Education Reform Act of 2000, requires that allstudents in grades one through eight take the CRCT in the content areas ofreading, English/language arts, and mathematics. Students in grades threethrough eight are also assessed in science and social studies. You canaccess further information about the CRCT and all the standardized testscurrently required for Georgiastudents at the Georgia Department of Education’s testing web page at: http://www.gadoe.org/ci_testing.aspx
Accordingto NCLB guidelines, students in grade 3 must demonstrate that they meet orexceed third grade standards in reading on the CRCT to be promoted to fourthgrade. Students in grade 5 must demonstrate that they meet or exceed fifthgrade standards in reading and math to be promoted to sixth grade. You can findmore explanation of the CRCT test, as well as practice tests which areformatted in a similar way as the actual test online at: https://www.georgiaoas.org/servlet/a2l
At DavisElementary, we have been working extremely hard for the past seven months toprepare your child to master the Georgia Performance Standards which will beevaluated on the CRCT test in April. You can help your child do his or her beston these tests by making sure that he or she continues to be at school on timeeach day, completes class work and homework assignments, and is well rested andready to learn each morning. During testing week in April, please help yourchild by making sure he or she gets plenty of rest, eats a good breakfast, andhas a good, stress free morning. If you have questions or concerns about theCRCT test and promotion requirements, please make an appointment to discussthem with your child’s teacher during our Parent Conference day on March 25, orat another mutually convenient time. As always, my door is open to you as well.
As a former coach, I like to thinkof CRCT week as the championship tournament that our students have beenpreparing for over eight months. While some students will be more nervous thanothers and some will have better testing sessions than others, all of ourstudents deserve the opportunity to show their best on the test! I am excitedfor this year’s chance for our students to display their academic excellence.
Mike Rich
Principal