Georgia Student Assessment Program

All state-mandated tests are administered by certified educators who have been thoroughly trained in secure and standardized procedures, and under the direct supervision of the school testing coordinator. The system testing director provides training, distributes materials, maintains security, and provides oversight in strict adherence to state expectations.

Carroll County Schools shall test students at grade levels mandated by the State Department of Education at the elementary, middle and high school levels, and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in grades 4, 8, and 12.

The Georgia Milestones Assessment System is a comprehensive summative assessment program and represents a single system of summative assessments that span all three levels of the state's educational system – elementary, middle, and high school. 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).  

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. Georgia Milestones is a single assessment system that consists of end-of-grade measures in English language arts and mathematics in grades 3-8, end-of-grade measures in science in grades 5 and 8, end-of-grade measure in social studies in grade 8, and end-of-course measures for specified high school courses. 

The end-of-course measures are administered at the completion of the course, regardless of the grade level. Middle school students who are enrolled in one or more of these courses are required to take the associated end-of-course (EOC) measure. These measures serve as the final exam for the course and contribute a percentage of the student’s final course grade per State Board Rule 160-4-2-.13 Statewide Passing Score.

Georgia Milestones serves as a key component of the state's accountability system – the College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI).  

The Carroll County School System takes test security very seriously. Strict guidelines are followed by school administrators, teachers, and staff to ensure all state assessments are administered in accordance with state requirements. Any and all irregularities in the testing process are reported to the state and investigated by system personnel.

Students are expected to comply with all instructions during the test administration. Students are not permitted to use, or bring into the testing environment, any electronic device that could allow them to access, retain, or transmit information (cell phone, Smartphone, PDA, camera, recording devices, etc.). Schools have a process to collect and secure these devices so they are not available to students during testing. In addition, the use of note cards or instructional materials during testing is forbidden. Students found in possession of these materials or caught in any act of cheating may face disciplinary actions and/or invalidation of their test.

All parents, emancipated minors, and students over the age of 18 have full access to all records or data relating to the student. Student records will be released to a third party only with prior written consent of a parent, emancipated minor, or the student over the age of 18, with exceptions made for other school officials and governmental education agencies.

System level test results and other similar information are public records since they are compiled and maintained by public officials and are paid for with tax dollars. The state open-records law provides that any citizen has the right to inspect all state, county, and municipal records. However, this right of inspection does not apply to records that are specifically required by the federal government to be kept confidential or to medical records and similar files, the disclosure of which would be an invasion of personal privacy. Individual aptitude and achievement tests results are generally thought of as confidential, and releasing them would constitute an invasion of personal privacy.

For additional information on state assessments, visit the following links:

• Carroll County Schools Testing Plan

• Georgia Online Assessment System

• Georgia Milestone Assessment Guides

• Georgia Milestones Assessment System - Video

• GKIDS - Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills

• Georgia Report Card

• GAA - Georgia Alternative Assessment

• ACCESS for ELLs - Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State to State for English Language Learners

• Georgia Department of Education Testing Website

• Helping Parents Understand the Georgia Milestone Student Report - Video