State Testing Program

Georgia's Standardized Testing Program

Georgia Milestones Assessment System

The Georgia Milestones Assessment System (GMAS) is a summative assessment program in the content areas of English/language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Students in grades 3 - 8 will take an end-of-grade assessment in English/language arts and mathematics. Additionally, students in grades 5 and 8 will take an end-of-grade assessment in science and social studies.

Study guides for the GMAS End of Grade test are found by clicking this link.

Students in high school will take an end-of-course assessment for each of the eight courses designated by the State Board of Education. End-of-course grades will account for 20% of the students' final average in the eight designated courses.

Study guides for the GMAS End of Course test are found by clicking this link.

More information regarding the Georgia Milestones Assessment System can be found by clicking this link.

ACCESS for ELs

Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State for English Learners (ACCESS for ELs) measures the English language proficiency of EL students in grades Kindergarten through 12. The ACCESS for ELs serves four purposes:

  • Monitors annual progress of ELs' English language proficiency,
  • Establishes when ELs have attained English language proficiency,
  • Informs classroom instruction and assessment, and
  • Provides reliable and valid data source or accountability and aid in academic decision-making for EL students.

More information regarding the ACCESS for ELs can be found by clicking this link.

Georgia Alternate Assessment 2.0

The Georgia Alternate Assessment 2.0 (GAA 2.0) is an assessment for students with significant cognitive disabilities in grades 3- 8 and grade 11. The students are assessed using standards in English/language arts, math, science and social studies that are aligned to the Georgia curriculum.

More information regarding the GAA can be found by clicking this link.

Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills

The Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (GKIDS) is a year-long, performance-based assessment. The goal of the assessment program is to provide teachers with information about the level of instructional support needed by individual students entering kindergarten and first grade. GKIDS allows teachers to assess student performance during instruction, record student performance in an on-line database, and generate reports for instructional planning, progress reports, report cards, student support team, and/or parent conferences.

More information regarding GKIDS can be found by clicking this link.

National Assessment of Educational Progress

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what students know and can do in various subjects. It is administered by the National Center for Education Statistics, within the U.S. Department of Education. NAEP is different from our state assessment because it provides a common measure of student achievement across the country. The results are released as The Nation's Report Card, which provides information about student achievement to educators, parents, policymakers, and the public.

The Georgia Department of Education notifies selected schools and grade levels within the school of their participation prior to the start of the new school year.

More information regarding NAEP can be found by clicking this link.

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