Milestones test might be back for Georgia students despite pandemic

Georgia schools should plan to offer high-stakes tests like Georgia Milestones this year after tests were called off last spring due to the pandemic, U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said in a letter to state superintendents Thursday.

That pressure to test drew a strong rebuke from fellow Republican Georgia Superintendent Richard Woods, who said discussing testing during a pandemic shows “total disregard for the realities faced by our families, students, and educators.”

“Make no mistake – these test scores will not be used to support teaching and learning, as the proponents suggest,” Woods said. “They will be used to undermine our public education system, understate the heroic efforts of our teachers, and undercut any opportunity we have for a full K-12 recovery.”

DeVos approved a plan to waive federal testing requirements in March for the last school year, shortly after Gov. Brian Kemp temporarily shut down the state’s public schools to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Read more: https://georgiarecorder.com/brief/milestones-test-might-be-back-for-georgia-students-despite-pandemic/