Graduation Test Scores Increase in English Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies

Results of the 2011 Georgia High School Graduation Tests (GHSGT) show student scores increased in all content areas where there is historical data - science, social studies and English language arts. Because this is the first year the more rigorous Georgia Performance Standards (GPS)-based mathematics GHSGT was given, there is no historical data to compare from year to year in that content area.

"The results of the 2011 GHSGT are very encouraging,” State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge said. "These scores give us a good indicator that students and teachers continue to rise to the challenge of a more rigorous curriculum.”

The percentage of students passing the English language arts GHSGT (91%) increased one percentage point from 2010. In science, 93% of students passed the test, an increase of three percentage points from last year. Finally, in social studies, 80% of students passed the GHSGT, a two percentage point increase over last year’s results.

For the first time this year, the GHSGT in mathematics is GPS-based. On the mathematics exam, 84% of students passed, an expected decrease from last year’s Quality Core Curriculum-based exam (91%).

In March 2011, the State Board of Education approved Superintendent Barge’s recommendation to allow school districts to teach math with an integrated or discrete delivery method.

"We know many students have struggled with the integrated approach to mathematics,” said Superintendent Barge. “A one-size-fits-all approach is not in the best interest of all of our students, but high expectations and our rigorous curriculum are right for all of them. We expected a decline in results for the math portion of the GHSGT, but based on feedback from school districts, we anticipated a more dramatic decline.”

Project ExPreSS Offered for Students Needing Remediation in Mathematics
The Exam Preparation for Student Success (ExPreSS) program is a free, two-week summer remediation program for Georgia public high school juniors who were first-time test-takers this year and did not pass the mathematics portion of the GHSGT.

About the Georgia High School Graduation Tests
The GHSGT are given to high school students for the first time in the spring of their junior year. All four portions of the test, plus the Georgia High School Writing Test, must be passed in order for a student to receive a full diploma from a Georgia public high school. Students can retake the GHSGT as many times as needed to pass the exams.

Since 2005, the state has been implementing the Georgia Performance Standards, a more rigorous and focused curriculum in the core areas of mathematics, English language arts, social studies and science. As the curriculum is phased in, the state's tests are being aligned to match the GPS.

Since the GHSGT assess cumulative knowledge, the new curriculum must be in place for three years before the exams can be fully aligned to the GPS. The science and English language arts GHSGT were aligned to the GPS for the first time in spring 2008. The social studies exam transitioned to a GPS test in spring 2010, and the mathematics exam transitioned to the GPS for the first time this spring.

The new, GPS-aligned tests are graded on four scoring levels – below proficiency, basic proficiency, advanced proficiency and honors. The tests aligned to the old curriculum are scored on three levels – did not pass, pass and pass plus.

At their April 2011 meeting, the State Board of Education approved Superintendent Barge's recommendation to phase out the GHSGT beginning with students entering ninth grade for the first time in 2011. For details about the phase-out plan, visit http://www.gadoe.org/pea_communications.aspx?ViewMode=1&obj=2032.

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State Board of Education Approves Plan to Phase Out Graduation Test

The State Board of Education today(April 13) approved State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge's plan to phase out the Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT). Students who enter high school in fall 2011 will no longer take the GHSGT in English, math, social studies and science, in order to graduate. This new plan will require students to pass all required courses, and the End-of-Course Tests (EOCT) would now count 20% of a student's final grade, rather than the current 15% weight.

"Georgia has been trying to eliminate the Georgia High School Graduation Test for over a decade," said Superintendent Barge. "I appreciate the State Board's vote that finally allows us to move away from the GHSGT. I don't believe the GHSGT is nearly as good an indicator of how much a student has learned as our End-of-Course Tests. The EOCTs are much more rigorous, and they test a student immediately following a course, rather than waiting until a student's Junior year to determine whether or not he or she has mastered the content of our curriculum."

Today's vote by the State Board of Education formally changed two rules: Rule 160-3-1-.07 TESTING PROGRAMS and Rule 160-4-2-.13 STATEWIDE PASSING SCORE. With these rule amendments, students entering ninth grade on or after July 1, 2011 no longer must take or pass the GHSGT to receive a high school diploma. The rule amendments also reflect the change in the EOCT accounting for 20% of a student's final course grade. Students must pass all required courses, including those courses with EOCT.

These rule amendments also allow flexibility for students who entered ninth grade between July 1, 2008 and June 30, 2011 to meet graduation requirements by either passing the GHSGT or at least one of the two equivalent end of course tests in each corresponding content area.

Every student must continue to complete all applicable course requirements as well as taking and passing the Georgia High School Writing Test.


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State Graduation Rate Soars Above 80 Percent

The state of Georgia’s graduation rate rose to an all-time high of 80.8 percent in 2010 – an increase of two percentage points over last year, and more than 17 percentage points since 2003, when the graduation rate was 63.3 percent. Governor Sonny Perdue and State School Superintendent Brad Bryant announced the results October 26 while recognizing three schools throughout the state that saw their own graduation rates increase dramatically in recent years.

“There is nothing greater we can do for a young Georgian than encourage them to stay in school,” Governor Perdue said. “We did something no other state had even thought of – put a graduation coach in every middle and high school and focused their efforts on students at risk of dropping out. Even with our dramatic enrollment growth, 4,000 fewer students dropped out this year than in 2003.”

Governor Perdue set a goal of reaching the 80 percent rate by the time he left office. In 2003, 65,213 students received a high school diploma in Georgia. Last school year, 91,561 students graduated with a high school diploma, meaning 26,348 more students graduated with a full diploma this year than in 2003.

“Georgia’s children are our state’s most valuable resource and today’s announcement is a great testament to the efforts of parents and teachers who work tirelessly to ensure our students succeed,” said Lt. Governor Casey Cagle. “Together we can continue to provide the tools and flexibility they need to ensure every Georgia student has the opportunity to achieve and gain the skills they need to compete in the 21st Century global economy.”

“Improving the graduation rate is the top education priority in the state of Georgia,” said Superintendent Bryant. “Our high school principals, teachers and students should take a lot of pride in the fact that more students than ever are graduating in Georgia. This is a testament to a lot of collaboration and hard work by our teachers and students.”

Graduation Rate Rises for All Students

All groups of students saw significant increases in their graduation rate in 2010. Georgia’s African-American students had a graduation rate of 75.8 percent, up more than 23 percentage points from 2003. The state’s Hispanic students had a graduation rate of 77.6 percent, up more than 29 percentage points from 2003. And Georgia’s economically-disadvantaged students raised their graduation rate to 76 percentage in 2010, up more than 24 percentage points from 2003.

“The improvement in our graduation rate is happening across the board for all students in every subgroup,” Superintendent Bryant added. “We are making steady progress and giving more students than ever the tools they need to be successful after high school.”

Governor Perdue and Superintendent Bryant presented the three schools with $3,000 grants towards graduation improvement programs, a plaque and t-shirts for the seniors and faculty members, all made possible by AT&T. The three schools were selected for their improved graduation rates and academics, including progress on End of Course Tests and postsecondary enrollment.

Graduation and Drop-out Statistics

School Year   Drop out Rate    # of Dropouts   # of graduates receiving regular education diplomas
2009-2010      3.56%                18,543                 91,561
2008-2009      3.8%                  19,942                 88,003
2007-2008      3.6%                  18,960                 83,517
2006-2007      4.1%                  21,100                 75,240
2005-2006      4.7%                  23,377                 72,429
2004-2005      5.0%                  24,289                 67,547
2003-2004      5.1%                  23,627                 65,124
2002-2003      5.5%                  22,861                 65,213

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GaDOE to Offer Free Online High School Graduation Test Remediation

State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox announced Friday a free online remediation course for high school students to help them pass the science and/or social studies portion of the Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT). Registration for the courses begins TODAY, Monday, February 1, 2010.

FreeOnline ExPreSS (Exam Preparation for Science and Social Studies) will be offered by the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) online to all high school students and certificate of attendance recipients who were unsuccessful on or who have not yet taken the Science and/or Social Studies GHSGT.

The GaDOE offered the ExPreSS program last summer in schools throughout the state and saw tremendous results. Students in the program had an overall retest pass rate of 68 percent; more than double the previous year’s pass rate on GHSGT retests in science and social studies.

“With the success we saw in our ExPreSS program over the summer, we knew we needed to offer it again and make an online version available to even more students,” said Superintendent Cox. “FreeOnline ExPreSS will also help financially-strapped school districts that may not have the resources to provide extra help to high school students in preparing for the GHSGT.”

FreeOnline ExPreSS creates an online opportunity designed to help students prepare for the science and social studies GHSGT. Science and social studies are the two GHSGTs that Georgia students fail most often. It will offer self-paced units based on the instructional plans created for the summer ExPreSS Program.

Students can create their own registration account using their Georgia Testing Identifier (GTID) number. Detailed instructions for creating this account and locating their GTID number will be provided on the ExPreSS website at: https://www.georgiastandards.org/Resources/Pages/Tools/ExPreSS.aspx

The summer Project ExPreSS program is scheduled for June 14-25, 2010. To get more information, please click on the following link: https://www.georgiastandards.org/resources/Documents/Student_ExPreSS_Flyer.pdf

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Upward Bound Boasts 100 Percent Pass Rate on Graduation Tests

Seniors in Valdosta State University's Upward Bound program (UB) recently celebrated a 100 percent pass rate for the Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT).

The group of 26 students began the year-round college preparation efforts during the first Upward Bound summer session in 2008. The program, funded by a $1 million TRIO grant from the Department of Education, helps local college-bound students in ninth through 12th grade develop the skills and motivation necessary to succeed beyond high school.

Seniors have dedicated time during the last year and a half to attending afterschool study sessions and Saturday learning sessions with Upward Bound tutors and advisors. Students not only covered themes in math, science and literature, but also focused on preparing for future challenges like the SAT, ACT and GHSGT. Many agree their efforts in building stronger study skills and sharpening their abilities in core academic subjects was well worth the time.

In fact, four have already received college acceptance letters. Samantha Mathis and Ashley Patterson have both been accepted to VSU. Ronald Carter Jr. received his letter from Emmanuel College, a private religious-based college in Franklin Springs, Ga. Fort Valley State University, Savannah State University and Rutgers University have each sent letters of acceptance to Kameron Copeland, who has been dually enrolled at Valdosta High School (VHS) and VSU since summer 2009.

Dondraie Seay, Upward Bound director, said she is thrilled for the future college scholars -- the four already accepted and those still searching for the right fit -- and knows Upward Bound will continue supporting them through their first year of college.

"These students have worked so hard to improve their study skills and raise their GPAs," said Seay, who was hired by VSU's Equal Opportunity Programs in 2007. "I know they will truly be successful during their college careers as well."

Dedrek Bryant has also reaped the rewards from his hard work with Upward Bound. The Valdosta High School junior was recently accepted as a student leader for the People to People Leadership Summit, which will be held July 11-17, 2010 at Harvard University in Boston, Mass. Nominated by VHS English Instructor Donna Alger based on his outstanding scholastic merit, civic involvement and leadership potential, Bryant will attend workshops and presentations and participate in excursions and discussions designed to assist his college admission efforts and guide his educational career goals.

The rigorous academic program will focus on leadership development and global awareness. Coordinated by People to People Ambassador Programs, www.peopletopeople.com/leadership , its mission is to fulfill former President Dwight D. Eisenhower's vision to foster world citizenship.


Student Initiative Program
A team of Upward Bound students recently returned from the ninth annual Student Initiative Weekend, hosted Nov. 20-22 in Peachtree City by the Georgia Association of Special Programs Personnel (GASPP). The event, themed "TAKE FLIGHT: Soar to a Higher Level," featured workshops, presentations and other events designed to improve communication skills and provide attendees with the leadership tools necessary to reach long term goals.

Presenters included NBA Hall-of-Famer Dominique Wilkins, the most celebrated player to wear an Atlanta Hawks basketball uniform, Alisha Thomas Morgan, the first African American to serve for Cobb County in the Georgia House of Representatives, and several others. All challenged students to seize leadership opportunities, set lofty goals, present themselves in the most professional manner possible and always soar above to exceed others expectations.

Students from TRIO programs around the state also competed in academic bowls with categories in math, science, language arts and other core subjects. Although they didn't bring home top awards, the VSU group performed well.

“In competing with TRIO students from around the state, VSU’s Upward Bound students obtained high performance scores throughout the competition,” said Seay. “This event offered the students and opportunity to exercise and expand their leadership skills.”

Last year, Kameron Copeland brought home a $100 price for placing first in the essay contest and the group scored high in math as well.


What's ahead for Upward Bound
Upward Bound students have faced an accelerated program this year, with four study sessions per week and two Saturday academies each month. Many are also enrolled in honor courses and engaged in the challenging new International Baccalaureate curriculum at Valdosta High.

"The program activities were increased in order to successfully launch the seniors into their chosen college path," said Seay, who manages the program's daily operations. "As a result the students’ skills have increased; the Upward Bound Rising Stars are excelling and will continue to do so upon entering college.”

UB academic advisors work with each junior and senior to create an academic plan to keep them on track toward graduation. Advisors work with school counselors to ensure students are progressing well and taking the best classes to support their long-term goals.

This spring, the group will also tour Georgia colleges, such as Georgia Southern University and Columbus State University, and next summer they plan to travel north for visits to ivy league schools in the Boston, Mass. and New York areas.

Seay said enrollment is open each fall for the program, which manages about 60 students each year. Parents, teachers and other students can refer potential candidates, each of which must submit an application, financial references and an essay about their future goals and life ambitions. After a selective interview process, successful applicants are inducted into the program.

"As a result of the educational and cultural enrichment standards, VSU Upward Bound program has successfully provided beneficial resources to all participants," Seay said. "We challenge the participants to give their all and excel to become a rising star."

Call Seay at (229) 333-5463 or e-mail her at dlseay@valdosta.edu to learn more about VSU’s Upward Bound Program or make a donation to help this program continue leading students toward higher education.

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Statement of Governor Sonny Perdue Regarding the Release of this Year's Graduation Rate

Governor Sonny Perdue issued the following statement October 1 regarding the release of this year’s final graduation rate, which is up to 78.9 percent:

“During my first year in office in 2003, our graduation rate stood at just over 63 percent. Since then, our efforts have been focused on helping students finish high school. We created the innovative graduation coach program which identifies at-risk students and creates individualized completion plans. Our Work Ready initiative engages local communities by requiring improvement in the graduation rate in order to qualify as a Certified Work Ready Community. As a result, local leaders and businesses are getting more involved in their schools, ensuring their hometown has an educated, talented workforce. Thanks to the hard work of our teachers, graduation coaches, principals and community leaders, we have seen tremendous improvement in the graduation rate of more than 15 percent in just six years. We are now on the cusp of achieving a benchmark goal of an 80 percent graduation rate by next year, and with another year of hard work and dedication I know we can achieve what some believed was impossible.”

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FIinal AYP Report: Graduation Rate Rises to 78.9%

The state of Georgia's graduation rate rose to a high of 78.9 percent in 2009 -- an increase of three points over last year.

"A three-point jump in our graduation rate means that nearly 4,500 more students graduated with a full diploma this year than did last year," said State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox. "Our high school principals, teachers and students should take a lot of pride in the fact that more students than ever are graduating in Georgia."

Since 2003, the state's graduation rate has risen more than 15 points from 63.3 percent to 78.9 percent.

"In a short period of time, we have increased by thousands the number of students who are graduating with a full diploma," Superintendent Cox said. "We still have a lot of work to do, but we are making steady progress every year."

The state's graduation rate was released as part of Georgia's final Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) report. Preliminary AYP results were released in July. The final AYP report includes summer retest scores and summer graduates.

Highlights of the Final AYP report:

- One-hundred fifty (150) additional schools made AYP after summer retest scores and summer graduates were included. In total, 86 percent of Georgia's public schools made AYP in 2009, an increase of six percentage points from the final AYP report of 2008 (see list below).
- A total of 73 school districts had all schools make AYP in 2009, an increase of 25 districts from 2008 (see list below).
- Sixteen (16) additional schools came out of Needs Improvement (NI) status this year compared to initial AYP results released in July (see list below). That means a total of 74 schools shook the NI label in 2009. Of the 74 schools, 17 were in "state-directed" improvement, the highest consequence level in Georgia.

"It takes a lot of hard work and focus to come out of Needs Improvement, especially for schools that have been in NI for a long period of time," Superintendent Cox said. "Our school improvement team has worked closely with these schools and we know they have done the right things to improve student achievement today and for years to come."

AYP is the formula used to determine if schools are meeting expectations under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. It consists of three parts -- test participation, academic achievement and another statistic, called a "second indicator." The academic goals continue to rise every few years toward a goal of 100 percent proficiency for all students by 2014. This year, all of the academic goals remained the same as 2008, although the graduation rate bar went up.

All students at a school, as well as any qualifying subgroup of students, must meet goals in all three categories in order to "make AYP." Schools that do not make AYP for two consecutive years in the same subject are placed in "Needs Improvement" status and face escalating consequences. For more information on AYP, go to the Frequently Asked Questions about AYP.

Graduation Rate must be used as a "second indicator" for all high schools and the state of Georgia uses one of the federally-approved formulas for calculating the rate. Superintendent Cox said the graduation rate improvement is something to celebrate, but the hard work must continue.

"Improving the graduation rate is the top education priority in the state of Georgia," Superintendent Cox said. "I am proud of the progress we are making but we will not be satisfied until all Georgia students are graduating on-time with a meaningful diploma that prepares them for the 21st century."

To see Georgia's plan for improving the graduation rate, visit our Strategic Plan website.
In order to make AYP in 2009, a high school had to have a graduation rate of 75 percent or higher, up from 70 percent last year. If a school did not make that goal, they could use a "second look" which means:

- Having a graduation rate that averaged 75 percent or higher over the past three years OR
- Having a graduation rate of at least 55 percent the previous year (2008) and showing a 10 percent improvement in the rate this year.

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State of Georgia Helps 1,400 Students Pass Grad Test‏

Nearly 1,400 students are a big step closer to graduation thanks to an innovative partnership between the state and local school districts.

The Exam Preparation for Science and Social Studies (ExPreSS) program was a state-funded effort aimed at students who had not passed the Georgia High School Graduation Tests (GHSGT) in Science or Social Studies. More than 2,000 students received two weeks of intensive instruction June 8-18 and then had the opportunity to retest on June 19.

The overall pass rate on this retest was 68 percent; more than double last year's pass rate on GHSGT retests in science and social studies.

"We knew that with just a little bit of focus and intensity many of these students would pass the test and be a step closer to getting their diploma," said State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox. "I'm very pleased with the results and I am grateful for the collaborative efforts of many great educators across the state."

Public high school students take GHSGTs in English language arts, mathematics, science and social studies and must pass all the exams, as well as the Georgia High School Writing Test, in order to graduate. Science and social studies are the two GHSGTs that Georgia students have struggled with the most.

Superintendent Cox heard from many school systems that, due to financial constraints, they were not able to offer extra help to high school students this summer.

"I felt that the ExPreSS program was a way that the state could directly help our students and provide our school systems with a little relief," she said.

There were 2,043 students from over 100 school districts that attended the ExPreSS program – 1,072 for social studies and 971 for science. The instruction took place at 29 sites around the state. The classes were led by 180 educators: 89 science teachers and 91 social studies teachers.

In social studies, 73 percent of the ExPreSS participants passed the retest. By comparison, the 2008 summer retest pass rate on the Social Studies GHSGT was 27 percent.

In science, 63 percent of the ExPreSS participants passed the retest. By comparison, the 2008 summer retest pass rate on the Science GHSGT was 29 percent.

"It took a lot of collaboration, teamwork and flexibility to make the ExPreSS program happen and to get these kind of results," said Superintendent Cox. "We are in the process of reviewing what went well and what we need to improve and, if the budget allows, we look forward to serving even more students next year."

In May, the State Board of Education approved up to $1.5 million in state funds to pay for all aspects of the ExPreSS program. About $900,000 of that money was to pay for teachers who received $4,000 each and may receive a $500 bonus if 80 percent or more of their students passed the retest. It is not known how many teachers will receive the bonus yet. Aside from salaries, the funding went toward supplies, transportation costs and other expenses.

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100 Percent of First Class at Carver Early College to Graduate May 28

High-school graduation is an important milestone in any high school senior’s life. But for 79 students slated to receive diplomas on May 28 from Atlanta’s Carver Early College High School, commencement will mark an achievement, not just for each individual, but also for a special program designed with them in mind.

These students are the first graduating class of the University System of Georgia’s (USG) Early College Initiative, which strives to raise the high-school and college graduation rates of underserved students. Each of the 79 students has been accepted to at least one two-year or four-year postsecondary institution, including several in the University System. They graduate not only with diplomas in hand but with college credits on their transcripts. And they leave no classmate behind – every single student who enrolled in Carver’s Early College program is graduating.

Launched in 2005 at Carver by the Atlanta Public Schools in partnership with Georgia State University, the initiative targets student populations underrepresented at USG institutions – low-income minority students, those for whom English is a second language and those who are the first in their family to attend college.

“At one time, Carver High School was rated among the lowest performing schools in the state, with a 36 percent graduation rate in 2004-05,” said USG Chancellor Erroll B. Davis Jr., who will be an honored guest on stage at the school’s 8:30 p.m. commencement at the Atlanta Civic Center. “The students in the first graduating class at Carver Early College are 100 percent minorities and 82 percent first-generation college students. This is a phenomenal achievement, truly remarkable.”

In 2004, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awarded the University System’s Pre-School through College (P-16) Department a $2 million, five-year grant to support the opening of five early college schools. The Robert W. Woodruff Foundation provided an additional $2 million in matching funds to spread over the next three years.

Including Carver, there are now 12 early college schools throughout Georgia – each partnered with a USG institution – that essentially provide students with the opportunity to earn up to two years of college or an associate’s degree while attending high school. In addition to Carver, they are: Albany Early College, DeKalb Early College Academy (DECA), Early College Academy of Columbus (ECAC), Engineering Early College Academy at Maynard Jackson High School, Georgia College Early College (GCEC), Macon-Bibb Early College, Regional Early Admission for College Hopefuls (REACH) Early College, Risley Early College Academy (RECA), Savannah Early College Academy, Sumter County Schools-Georgia Southwestern Early College (SCS-GSW Early College) and Valdosta Early College Academy (VECA). For background information on these schools, go to http://www.gaearlycollege.org/earlysites/.

“The Georgia Early College Initiative is an intervention strategy for students who may not be well served by traditional middle and high schools,” said USG Early College Director Dawn Cooper. “The schools provide a rigorous course of study, high expectations and supportive, personalized learning. They strive to remove the financial, academic and psychological hurdles that prevent too many students from entering and succeeding in college.”

The salutatorian for the Carver Commencement is Derrick Standifer, who is the first in his family to attend college. Since transferring to Carver from Booker T. Washington High School as a sophomore, the 18-year-old has taken nine courses at Georgia State, completed a summer-study program in Panama and Costa Rica and served as a volunteer at Atlanta New Century Schools.

“I used to think of colleges in terms of football,” Standifer said. “Now I have a choice of completing my bachelor’s degree at a number of very good schools, including Howard University, Virginia State and Florida A&M. I really liked my economics course, and I really like tutoring, so I plan to be an economics teacher when I graduate.”

“The unique mission of the Early College High School Initiative is to raise the high-school graduation and postsecondary success rates of underserved youth, and to say we are extremely happy with the outcome at Carver is an understatement,” Cooper concluded.

The Carver graduates are still receiving acceptance letters and mulling over their decisions, but among the institutions they’ve been accepted to are the University of Georgia, the University of West Georgia, Georgia State, Albany State, Savannah State, Fort Valley State and Middle Georgia College.

“At Carver Early College, we are committed to the early-college model and the great opportunities it presents to high school students,” said Carver Principal Marcene Thornton. “We believe that this model has the potential not just to change the lives of individual students, but also the lives of families and generations to come. As we graduate Georgia’s first early-college students, we celebrate the success of the model and the profound possibilities it holds for changing lives through higher education.”

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Georgia Graduation Test Scores Continue to Improve

Georgia's high school students continue to show steady progress on the Georgia High School Graduation Tests (GHSGT), including the science and English exams that are aligned to the state's more rigorous curriculum. State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox released the statewide results at today's State Board of Education meeting.

The percentage of students meeting standards on the GHSGT rose from the previous year in all four subject areas; mathematics, science, English language arts, and social studies. The pass rate on the science exam rose two points to 88 percent and on the English language arts exam rose one point to 90 percent.

"The results of the 2009 GHSGT show that our students continue to make steady progress in all areas of the curriculum," Superintendent Cox said. "This is especially noteworthy in the areas of science and English language arts, which are fully aligned to our new curriculum, the Georgia Performance Standards."

Superintendent Cox pointed out that the percentage of students performing at the very highest level on the English language arts and science exams rose significantly from 2008. On the science GHSGT, 15 percent of the students scored at the "honors" level, an increase of three points from 2008. On the English language arts GHSGT, 14 percent of the students scored at the honors level, an increase of four points from 2008.

"These exams are more rigorous and require students to demonstrate a deeper knowledge of the subject, but student achievement continues to rise in these areas," Superintendent Cox said. "The credit belongs to the teachers, students and school leaders who are working very hard to fully implement the new Georgia Performance Standards."

Superintendent Cox was also pleased that scores increased in most subgroups when compared to 2008. For instance:
- The pass rate for Students with Disabilities rose three points to 55 percent on the science GHSGT and rose four points to 63 percent on the mathematics GHSGT.
- The pass rate for English Language Learners rose six points to 59 percent on the English language arts GHSGT and 11 points to 62 percent on the social studies GHSGT.
- The pass rate for Hispanic students rose on all four tests and the pass rate for African American students rose on the social studies and mathematics exams.

ABOUT THE GEORGIA HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION TESTS
The GHSGT are given to high school students for the first time in the spring of their junior year. All four portions of the test, plus the Georgia High School Writing Test, must be passed in order for a student to receive a full diploma from a Georgia public school. Students can retake the GHSGT as many times as they like if they do not pass specific exams.

Since 2005, the state has been implementing the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS), a more rigorous and focused curriculum in the core areas of mathematics, English language arts, social studies and science. As the curriculum is phased in, the state's tests are being aligned to match the curriculum.

Since the GHSGT assess cumulative knowledge, the new curriculum must be in place for three years before the exams can be fully aligned to the GPS. The science and English language arts GHSGT were aligned to the GPS for the first time in spring, 2008. The social studies exam will transition to a GPS test in spring, 2010 and the mathematics exam will transition in spring, 2011.

The new, GPS-aligned tests are graded on four scoring levels – below proficiency, basic proficiency, advanced proficiency and honors. The tests aligned to the old curriculum are scored on three levels – did not pass, pass and pass plus.

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Mercer Announces Four-Year Graduation Guarantee

With a goal of reducing the cost of a college education for students and their families, Mercer University today announced an initiative called the “Four-Year Pledge” to help more undergraduate students earn their degrees on time.

Trends over the past decade indicate that college students are increasingly failing to graduate within four years. Nationally, the average time from matriculation to graduation now exceeds five years, with only 37 percent of students graduating in four years. This trend is making a college education significantly more expensive by inflating the direct costs of college — tuition, fees, room and board — as well as the indirect costs associated with delaying entry into the employment market.

“At a growing number of colleges and universities, a four-year undergraduate degree is going the way of the dinosaur,” said Brian Dalton, Mercer’s vice president for enrollment management. “The Mercer Four-Year Pledge reflects the commitment of our faculty and staff to the success of our students. It is designed to encourage students to be intentional and responsible in successfully pursuing an undergraduate degree within four years of matriculation. And it encourages the University to be a responsible partner in working with students to achieve this desired outcome,” Dalton said.

In keeping with the institution’s 176-year tradition of excellence, leadership and innovation in higher education, Mercer pledges to provide an educational environment that enables and encourages students to graduate within eight semesters of matriculation. Beginning with the freshman class of 2009, students who do their work, pass their classes, and follow the advice of faculty advisers will graduate within four years. Under the program, if a student does not graduate within this time frame, the cost of whatever additional courses are required to graduate will be absorbed by the University.

One of only a handful of universities in the country to offer such a guarantee, the University is backing up the pledge with major investments in technology upgrades to allow even better tracking, monitoring and advising as students and their academic advisers navigate progress toward a four-year degree. Mercer will provide written audits to students at the end of each academic year, documenting progress toward their goal of graduating in four years. The institution will also continue investing millions of dollars in institutionally funded scholarships to ensure that the University offers the affordable value that national publications have recognized. The Princeton Review has designated Mercer as a “Best Value” for its excellent academics and “relatively low costs of attendance,” while U.S. News & World Report includes Mercer on its list of “Great Schools, Great Prices.”

“With this pledge, we seek to ensure that our students enter the next phase of their lives much faster than the national average – avoiding the additional financial burden that results from prolonging an undergraduate education and accelerating their journey to becoming productive and successful citizens,” Dalton said.

The Mercer Four-Year Pledge states: “If the student adheres to all pledge stipulations and is not able to graduate within four years of matriculating, Mercer will provide the student a waiver of tuition and fees for all additional courses required for graduation. If the student has lived in campus housing all four years, then the University will provide a waiver of on-campus housing costs. If the student has utilized campus meal plans for all four years, then the University will provide an equivalent meal plan at no cost for the additional required time of enrollment.”

“A college education represents one of the most precious opportunities in our society,” said Mercer President William D. Underwood. “Mercer University is committed to helping reduce the cost of higher education, thus lightening the financial burdens on our students and their families.”

For more information on the Four-Year Pledge, go to www.mercer.edu/pledge or call (800) 840-8577 or (478) 301-2120.

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Morehouse Celebrates Summer Commencement July 19

Morehouse College will round out the class of 2008 when it celebrates Summer Commencement on Saturday, July 19, at 10 a.m. in the Martin Luther King Jr International Chapel.

Corey Booker, mayor of Newark, New Jersey, will deliver the commencement address. He will also receive the Presidential Award of Distinction. Booker has been mayor of Newark since 2006 and is only the third person to govern the city since 1970. He is the founder of Newark Now, a grassroots leadership nonprofit founded to provide Newark residents with skills, tools, and support to transform their neighborhoods.

Booker received a B.A. and M.A. from Stanford University, a B.A. in modern history from Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar and a law degree from Yale University.

He has been appointed to sit on the boards for Integrity Inc., Yale Law School, Columbia University Teachers’ College, the Black Alliance for Educational Options, North Star Academy and the International Longevity Center.

Booker has been recognized by several well known publications, including Esquire, where he was named “one of the country’s 40 Best and Brightest;” New Jersey Monthly, which named him one of New Jersey’s top 40 under 40; Black Enterprise, which named him on the Hot List, America’s Most Powerful Players under 40; and Time magazine.

Also receiving the Presidential Award of Distinction is alumnus Ronald L. Carter, Morehouse class of 1971. Carter is currently the 13th president of Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C., and has been an educator for more than three decades. In fact, his career in education has taken him from South Carolina to South Africa.

Carter graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Morehouse with a B.A. in sociology and philosophy and continued his education at Boston University, where he earned both master’s and doctoral degrees in religion. While at Boston, he served as director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Career, Educational and Counseling Services; was appointed the school’s youngest dean of students; and was senior editor of Debate and Understanding, a scholarly journal for the study of minority Americans’ economic, political and social development.

Morehouse expects to graduate more than 65 students during the summer convocation.

Register Online for Graduation Test Summer Administration and Remediation Classes

Students who failed the previous administration of the Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT) will have an opportunity to retake the test this summer.

The test will be given July 14-17 at McIntosh High for students who took the previous administration while enrolled in the Fayette County School System. Exam dates for each subject are as follows: July 14, math; July 15, social studies; July 16, language arts; July 16, writing and July 17, science.

Students must register online at www.fcboe.org by June 27 in order to participate in testing. Late registrations will not be accepted. Guidance departments at each high school can assist students with the registration process through May 23.

Remediation classes are available at McIntosh High June 9-July 3, Monday-Thursday. The cost for materials is $15 per class; students may not register for more than two classes. Register online at www.fcboe.org. See the website for class times and additional test prep information.

For questions or more information, contact Julie Turner (test information), 770-460-3990, ext. 114 or Sharon Boyer (remediation classes), 770-460-3990, ext. 118.