Press release [July 3, 2012]

Georgia Students Show Increases on Majority of End-of-Course Tests
NOTE: System-level results will be available no later than July 17. School-level results will be available no later than July 31.
MEDIA CONTACT: Matt Cardoza, GaDOE Communications Office, (404) 651-7358, mcardoza@gadoe.org - Follow us on Twitter and Facebook
July 3, 2012 The results of the spring 2012 Georgia End-of-Course Tests (EOCT) show student improvement in seven of eight comparable tests. In comparing the results to Spring 2011, students demonstrated improvement in U.S. History, Economics, Biology, Physical Science, Ninth Grade Literature, American Literature, and Mathematics I. The percentage of students who met or exceeded standards for Mathematics II decreased by one percentage point. In April 2011, the State Board of Education approved a plan to phase out the Georgia High School Graduation Tests, beginning with students who entered ninth grade for the first time in the 2011-2012 school year. For these students, the EOCT counts as 20% of the final grade, an increase from the previous 15% level. "It is encouraging to me to see student performance increase in the large majority of the End-ofCourse Tests," said State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge. "End-of-Course Tests are more rigorous than the Georgia High School Graduation Tests, so increases are further testament to the great job our teachers are doing delivering the Georgia Performance Standards to students in a way that they are grasping." Beginning this school year, End-of-Course Tests will be used as a factor of high school success for accountability purposes on the new College and Career Ready Performance Index. Details from the EOCT Report: Sixty-eight (68%) percent of Georgia's students met or exceeded the standard for U.S. History. This is an increase of two (2) percentage points when compared to spring 2011. Seventy-seven (77%) percent of Georgia's students met or exceeded the standard for Economics/Business/Free Enterprise. This is an increase of five (5) percentage points when compared to spring 2011. Seventy-three (73%) percent of Georgia's students met or exceeded the standard for Biology. This is an increase of three (3) percentage points when compared to spring 2011. Seventy-seven (77%) percent of Georgia's students met or exceeded the standard for Physical Science. This is an increase of one (1) percentage point when compared to spring 2011. Eighty-four (84%) percent of Georgia's students met or exceeded the standard for Ninth Grade Literature & Composition. This is an increase of two (2) percentage points when compared to spring 2011.

Eighty-nine (89%) percent of Georgia's students met or exceeded the standard for American Literature & Composition. This is an increase of one (1) percentage point when compared to spring 2011. Sixty-five (65%) percent of Georgia's students met or exceeded the standard for Mathematics I. This is an increase of four (4) percentage points when compared to spring 2011. Fifty-four (54%) percent of Georgia's students met or exceeded the standard for Mathematics II. This is a decrease of one (1) percentage point when compared to spring 2011. Sixty-three (63%) percent of Georgia's students met or exceeded the standard for GPS Algebra. This test is new and was not administered last year. Seventy-four (74%) percent of Georgia's students met or exceeded the standard for GPS Geometry. This test is new and was not administered last year. More Information About End-of-Course Tests Any student receiving credit for a course that requires an EOCT must participate. The test serves as the final exam for the course and contributes 15% or 20% to each student's final course grade as provided for in State Board Rule 160-4-2-.13. The purposes of the EOCTs are to assess student achievement of the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) in the designated core courses and to provide data to assist in the improvement of instruction and learning. The EOCTs also provide data to evaluate the effectiveness of instruction at the school, system, and state levels. The EOCTs assess a sample of the knowledge and skills that educators agree comprise a complete curriculum for each course. Georgia students have opportunities to learn and are expected to master much more than the tests address. The Georgia Performance Standards are the source of the knowledge and skills assessed on the End-of-Course Tests in the following courses: English Language Arts - Ninth Grade Literature and Composition
- American Literature and Composition Mathematics
- Mathematics I: Algebra/Geometry/Statistics
- Mathematics II: Geometry/Algebra II/Statistics
- GPS Algebra
- GPS Geometry Science
- Biology
- Physical Science Social Studies
- United States History
- Economics/Business/Free Enterprise Student performance is categorized into three levels: Does Not Meet Standard, Meets Standard, and Exceeds Standard.

Ninth Grade Literature & Composition, Spring 2012 State Level

State Georgia

Mean Scale Percent in Percent in

N Tested

Score

PL1

PL2

107,032

435.67

15.9

46.0

Percent in PL3 38.1

Mean Grade Conversion
Score 84.00

American Literature, Spring 2012 State Level

State Georgia

Mean Grade

Mean Scale Percent in Percent in Percent in Conversion

N Tested

Score

PL1

PL2

PL3

Score

90,358

434.10

10.8

58.8

30.4

84.00

Biology, Spring 2012 State Level

State Georgia

Mean Grade

Mean Scale Percent in Percent in Percent in Conversion

N Tested

Score

PL1

PL2

PL3

Score

104,733

426.80

27.3

42.7

30.0

81.00

Economics, Spring 2012 State Level

State Georgia

Mean Grade

Mean Scale Percent in Percent in Percent in Conversion

N Tested

Score

PL1

PL2

PL3

Score

56,241

430.20

22.7

45.0

32.3

82.00

GPS Geometry EOCT, Spring 2012 State Level

State Georgia

Mean Grade

Mean Scale Percent in Percent in Percent in Conversion

N Tested

Score

PL1

PL2

PL3

Score

10,878

428.99

26.4

42.9

30.7

82.00

Mathematics I EOCT, Spring 2012 State Level

State Georgia

Mean Grade

Mean Scale Percent in Percent in Percent in Conversion

N Tested

Score

PL1

PL2

PL3

Score

96,316

414.87

34.7

47.2

18.0

76.00

Mathematics II EOCT, Spring 2012 State Level

State Georgia

Mean Grade

Mean Scale Percent in Percent in Percent in Conversion

N Tested

Score

PL1

PL2

PL3

Score

87,980

404.84

46.1

45.5

8.4

72.00

Physical Science EOCT, Spring 2012 State Level

State Georgia

Mean Grade

Mean Scale Percent in Percent in Percent in Conversion

N Tested

Score

PL1

PL2

PL3

Score

68,100

441.82

22.5

33.7

43.8

87.00

United States History EOCT, Spring 2012 State Level

State Georgia

Mean Grade

Mean Scale Percent in Percent in Percent in Conversion

N Tested

Score

PL1

PL2

PL3

Score

93,351

427.15

31.7

33.6

34.7

81.00