Assessment
The purpose of the Georgia Student Assessment Program is to measure student achievement of the state-adopted academic content standards and to use assessment results to improve teaching and learning. Results from the assessment program are utilized to identify the extent to which students have mastered the state's academic content standards, to provide teachers with feedback about instructional practice, and to assist school districts in identifying strengths and weaknesses to establish priorities in planning educational programs.
ASSESSMENT CALENDAR
2023-2024 Assessment Calendar
If you have questions pertaining to the Assessment Calendar, please contact the Director of Assessment and MTSS, Destini Shope, at 706-253-1700.
REQUIRED STATE ASSESSMENTS
WIDA ACCESS
WIDA ACCESS is administered annually to all English learners in Georgia. WIDA ACCESS is a standards-based, criterion-referenced English language proficiency test designed to measure English learners’ social and academic proficiency in English. It assesses social and instructional English as well as the language associated with language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies within the school context across the four language domains. WIDA ACCESS meets the federal requirements that mandate states evaluate EL students in grades K through 12 on their progress in learning to speak English.
ACCESS Parent Handout - English
Folleto para padres de ACCESS - Español
Georgia Alternative Assessment (GAA) 2.0
The Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA) 2.0 is comprised of standardized performance tasks and is intended to provide tiered participation within the assessment for students working at various levels of complexity. The GAA 2.0 is designed to measure the degree to which students with significant cognitive disabilities have mastered alternate achievement standards in the core content areas of English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.
- The GAA 2.0 is administered to all eligible students in the following areas:
- Grades 3-8, and high school will be assessed in English language arts and mathematics.
- Grades 5, 8, and high school will be assessed in science.
- Grades 8 and high school will be assessed in social studies.
Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (GKIDS) 2.0
GKIDS 2.0 is a progression-based formative assessment, integrated into classroom work, that is aligned to Georgia's state content standards. GKIDS 2.0 is organized around big ideas and learning progressions.
- A big idea describes the integration of concepts and skills from the kindergarten standards that are most important for success in first grade.
- A learning progression shows where the student is in the learning continuum of content and reasoning development regarding the big idea from the standard.
- Learning progressions provide the big picture of what is to be learned across the year, relate increased reasoning of standards within the grade and across grades, and support instructional planning.
GKIDS Parent Website
Georgia Milestones Assessment System (GMAS)
The Georgia Milestones Assessment System is designed to provide information about how well students are mastering the state-adopted content standards in the core content areas of English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.
Importantly, Georgia Milestones is designed to provide students with critical information about their own achievement and their readiness for their next level of learning – be it the next grade, the next course, or the next endeavor (college or career).
Informing parents, educators, and the public about how well students are learning important content is an essential aspect of any educational assessment and accountability system. Parents, the public, and policymakers, including local school districts and boards of education, can use the results as a barometer of the quality of educational opportunities provided throughout the state of Georgia.
As such, Georgia Milestones serves as a key component of the state's accountability system – the College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI).
Parent Resources for Georgia Milestones
The GMAS Parent Resource link includes Parent Q & A, Study/Resource Guides, and Achievement Level Descriptors