Georgia Milestones
What are the four performance levels on the Georgia Milestones?
What is Beginning, Developing, Proficient, Distinguished?
A parent says 'My kid scored in the 45th percentile — that's almost failing.' Correct this misconception in one sentence.
What is a percentile rank shows how a student compares to peers, not the percent of questions answered correctly — 45th percentile means above average compared to 45% of students?
How would you BEGIN a parent conference about a student who is at the Beginning level?
What is Lead with a strength: 'Marcus works really hard and I can see his effort every day. I want to share some information about his reading scores so we can support him together.'?
A parent calls and is upset their child 'failed' the Georgia Milestones. What is your first response?
What is listen without interrupting, validate the emotion, then clarify what the score actually means — that 'Beginning' is a performance level describing where the student is now, not a final judgment, and that you have a plan to support growth.
Under what Georgia law are schools required to report assessment results to parents?
What is O.C.G.A. § 20-2-240 (Georgia School Accountability Act)?
A parent receives an EOG report showing a scaled score of 525. What section of the report tells them the performance level?
What is the Performance Level section (shown as Beginning/Developing/Proficient/Distinguished)?
What is a grade equivalent score and what MUST teachers caution parents about?
What is it shows what grade level the student performed at; caution that a 3rd grader scoring at 6th-grade level is not ready for 6th grade — it just means advanced performance.
A parent asks, 'Will my child have to repeat a grade because of this test score?' How do you respond?
What is acknowledge the concern, clarify that Georgia Milestones is one of multiple data points considered in promotion decisions, and explain that the teacher, school, and family will look at the full picture together before any decision is made?
A parent arrives to conference angry and immediately says 'I've already talked to the principal.' What is your first step?
What is Stay calm, listen without interrupting, acknowledge feelings, and invite them to share their concern before presenting data?
What does FERPA stand for and what right does it give parents regarding assessment records?
What is Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act — it gives parents the right to inspect and review their child's educational records, including assessment results, and to request corrections?
What is the SGP and why is it important to share with parents?
What is The Student Growth Percentile — shows how much a student grew compared to academically similar peers; growth, not just achievement?
What is a scaled score and why is it used instead of a raw score on state assessments?
What is a scaled score is a converted score that accounts for slight differences in test form difficulty across years, allowing fair comparison of student performance over time.
A parent is angry and says 'This test doesn't measure what my kid knows!' How do you respond?
What is Validate their concern, acknowledge test limitations, explain what the test does measure, and pivot to a holistic view of the student's performance across multiple measures?
A parent insists their child's score is wrong and demands a retest. What are your professional obligations?
What is explain the state's established score verification and appeal process, offer to review the report together, provide contact information for the school's testing coordinator, and document the conversation?
Under FERPA, which information from a student's assessment report can a teacher share with a parent?
What is all educational records, including assessment scores, may be shared with a student's parent or guardian?
What is the difference between an EOG and an EOC assessment in Georgia?
What is EOG (End of Grade) is given to students in grades 3–8 in core subjects and EOC (End of Course) is given to high school students upon completing specific courses such as Algebra I or American Literature?
What is the difference between a norm-referenced and a criterion-referenced score, and which type is the Georgia Milestones?
What is Norm-referenced scores compare a student to a norming group (peers) and criterion-referenced scores measure performance against a fixed standard. Georgia Milestones is criterion-referenced?
A parent demands to know why their child's score dropped from last year. Walk through a professional, data-informed response.
What is acknowledge the concern and the data, Review the SGP to discuss growth vs. achievement, Explore possible factors (attendance, test anxiety, curriculum changes), and Present additional classroom data and create a support plan together?
A caregiver does not speak English. No interpreter is available. What are two things you MUST do?
What is 1) Reschedule with a certified interpreter (required under Title VI); 2) Do NOT rely on a student to interpret; contact your school's EL coordinator?
Under Georgia law, what must schools do if a student scores at the Beginning level on the Georgia Milestones Reading component in grades 1–5?
what is schools must notify parents in writing and provide a reading improvement and monitoring plan (RIMP) as required under the Georgia Reading Development Act (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-152)?