Updates On Grades, Graduation, Tests For Georgia Students

GEORGIA — After Gov. Brian Kemp said students will not return to classrooms this school year, and instead finish school online, many students and parents are left with questions on testing, graduation and final grades.

Students in higher learning face a similar order: The University System of Georgia said March 16 that all 26 of its institutions will move to online instruction for the remainder of the semester, with extremely limited exceptions.

Georgia has received formal approval from the federal government to waive testing and accountability requirements for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year, State School Superintendent Richard Woods said Tuesday. No state testing — including Georgia Milestones End of Grades and End of Courses, Georgia Alternate Assessment 2.0, and Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills — will be administered in Georgia for the rest of the school year. Additionally, there will not be a 2020 College and Career Ready Performance Index.

“It became clear as the COVID-19 pandemic progressed that there was no realistic path to offering state assessments this year — and, frankly, that testing is not what students, parents, and educators should be focused on at this time,” Woods said. “I appreciate the U.S. Department of Education hearing the concerns of states, school districts, parents, and students and providing this flexibility. Georgia’s public-school community will continue to focus on keeping students safe and providing opportunities for learning and growth as we weather this storm together.”

On March 16, Woods suspended the state assessment window along with teacher and leader evaluation requirements and state-level, attendance-related consequences. Following an announcement March 20 from the U.S. Department of Education inviting states to request waivers from federal assessment requirements, the Georgia Department of Education immediately applied for a waiver. Georgia Department of Education received notice of the U.S. Department of Education’s intent to approve its request the afternoon of March 20, and formal approval from US ED on March 30. Click here for the notice of approval.

Other updates on coronavirus and Georgia public schools

Grading

How to calculate final student grades is a local district decision, but the guidance issued to districts includes options they can consider, and the Georgia Department of Education has directed districts to be sensitive about the realities students and staff are dealing with during this time. Possible strategies outlined in the Georgia Department of Education's guidance include adopting a “no zero” policy for all assignments since school closures began; allowing students to redo, resubmit, and/or retake assignments; and evaluating key content and competencies taught prior to school closures to establish a “cutoff point” for grades/assignments and a benchmark for measuring course completion and performance.

The state-level waivers approved on March 26 include a waiver of promotion/retention requirements, the 20 percent course-grade requirement for end of courses, and other requirements related to graduation and course completion. This will ensure that students are still able to advance to the next grade in spite of the coronavirus closures.

“Pass/Fail” options

For subjects and courses taught in grades K-8, school districts may choose to issue course designations of “pass” or “fail” in lieu of final grades or numeric scores. While the Georgia Department of Education explored the possibility of offering a “pass/fail” option for grades 9-12, we ultimately determined this is not a viable option due to the potential impact on higher education acceptance requirements (in and out of state), scholarships and financial aid opportunities, and other GPA-related requirements from colleges and universities. This also applies for high school subjects/courses taught in middle school for high school credit.

While districts must issue numerical grades for high school courses, they may still adopt any of the other policies outlined in the Georgia Department of Education's guidance, including adopting a “no zero” policy for all assignments since school closures began; allowing students to redo, resubmit, and/or retake assignments; and evaluating key content and competencies taught prior to school closures to establish a “cutoff point” for grades/assignments. Parents should be assured their high-school student will not be penalized for circumstances outside their control.

Graduating seniors

2020 graduating seniors cannot control the disruption to school schedules caused by coronavirus, and the Georgia Department of Education has issued guidance to school districts to ensure no senior will be held back from graduating on time due to the coronavirus school closures.

The Georgia Department of Education is collaborating with the University System of Georgia, Technical College System of Georgia, Georgia Student Finance Commission, and others to ensure graduating seniors are not penalized due to the coronavirus closures.

Regarding graduation ceremonies, school districts should follow CDC and department of public health guidance for any public meetings. The coronavirus crisis is an ever-evolving situation. Districts may choose to graduate and issue diplomas to seniors as planned, but hold formal ceremonies later in the summer if necessary. The Georgia Department of Education does not set school calendars or dictate the last day of the school year and does not set graduation ceremony requirements.

Internet, device access:

On March 30, Kemp and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs launched a new website to inform Georgians about ways to connect to high-speed internet throughout the state. Visit broadband.georgia.gov to find internet access points near you.

The Georgia Department of Education continues to work with the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement, the Georgia Foundation for Public Education, and corporate funders to connect students and families with devices and Internet connections. If you would like to contribute to the effort to get digital devices into students’ hands, make a secure tax-deductible online donation at www.gfpe.org/invest.

State-level waivers

At the March 26 State Board of Education meeting, Woods recommended and the board approved a comprehensive package of waivers for school districts in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The waivers address state assessment and accountability requirements; grading and graduation requirements; credit recovery; and counseling. Click here for more information and find the detailed guidance that was issued to school districts.

The Georgia Department of Education has directed districts, as they develop local guidelines, to ensure students are not penalized for circumstances over which they had no control. Students should not be held back in their expected progression — graduation, advancement to the next grade, etc. – as a result of the coronavirus school closures. The state has granted the necessary flexibility to make this possible.

See more:

• GA Coronavirus: Shelter-In-Place Order, School Year Finished
• Coronavirus: All GA K-12 Schools Shut, Colleges Move Online
• GA Superintendent Suspends State Testing Amid Coronavirus
• Fulton County Schools Planning For Graduation Alternatives