Trend Data 
 
EDUCATED 
- IMPROVE School Performance 
GOCF outcome indicator: Student Achievement 
 for elementary school students 
Starting in first grade, elementary school students in Georgia begin taking Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT). These tests are meant to measure how well a student has mastered the skills and knowledge outlined in the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS). 
 
Georgia 3rd Grade Students That Scored Either "Meets" or "Exceeds" on CRCT 
100% 
 
90% 
 
80% 
 
70% 
 
60% 
 
50% 
 
2006-2007 
 
2007-2008 
 
2008-2009 
 
Math 
 
Science 
 
Reading 
 
Data Source: The Governor's Office of Student Achievement, 2010. 
The performance standards provide clear expectations for instruction, assessment, and student work; they define the level of work that demonstrates achievement of the standards. The assessments yield information on academic achievement at the student, class, school, system, and state levels. This information is used to diagnose individual student strengths and weaknesses as related to the instruction of the GPS. CRCT was implemented in 2000, and since 2002 it has expanded to include more subjects and grades in the testing procedures. These tests occur at the end of the year, and are mandatory for students. The tests consist of selected response items that test grade-appropriate GPS content. 
 
 Prior to Georgia Performance Standards (GPS), student achievement was guided by Quality Core Curriculum (QCC). These standards were revised in 2002 to add depth and emphasis to student performance standards in Georgia. 
 To ensure the age-appropriateness, CRCT for first and second grades are designed with key factors in mind such as number of answer choices, breaks during testing, and having certain aspects of the assessments read to the students by the teacher. 
 
Data Source: The Georgia Department of Education, 2010. 
 
May 2010