Education officials attribute higher math scores to standards change

(The Center Square) – Georgia students in all grades except third improved their math scores on the state's end-of-the-year learning assessments.

The improvements are due to a change in math standards on the Georgia Milestones test, effective for the 2023-24 year, according to a release from State School Superintendent Richard Woods.

Forty-four percent of eighth-grade students scored at the proficient learner level or above, up from 36% the previous year, according to information from the Georgia Department of Education. The 8% improvement is the highest for any grade level.

Fourth-grade students had the highest percentage of proficient learners with 48%, a 2% increase over the previous year.

The only decrease was among third-graders, with a 1% drop from 46% to 45%, according to the Education Department.

“Reviewing these results, I am extremely proud of Georgia students and our mathematics teachers and leaders throughout the state, along with all those who contributed to the review and redesign of Georgia’s K-12 mathematics standards,” Woods said. “Thousands of Georgians participated in the process of creating the new standards – they are truly Georgia-owned and Georgia-grown, and these scores are an early indicator of success for that work.”

The new standards "focus on strategic mathematical thinking and reasoning," and aligned the math curriculum to the industry and workforce needs of the 21st century, the department said in a presentation.

The results show students have gained ground since the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted education, forcing schools to close and students to learn remotely.

The Department of Education released English language arts, science and social studies assessments in July, which also showed improvements.