Student Assessment
1205 Bluffs Parkway
Canton, Georgia 30114
770.721.6206
Dr. Lyn Turnell
Director, Student Assessment
Lyn.Turnell@cherokeek12.net
Georgia Milestones
The Georgia Milestones Assessment System is a comprehensive summative assessment program spanning grades 3 through high school. Georgia Milestones measures how well students have learned the knowledge and skills outlined in the state-adopted content standards in English Language Arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Students in grades 3 through 8 take an end-of-grade assessment in English Language Arts and mathematics while students in grades 5 and 8 are also assessed in science. Students in grade 8 are also assessed in social studies. High school students take an end-of-course assessment for each of the courses designated by the State Board of Education. This Georgia Department of Education link provides resources for parents in English and Spanish, along with Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding EOG/EOC assessments.
Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills 2.0
The Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills 2.0 (GKIDS 2.0) is a progression-based formative assessment, integrated into classroom work, that is aligned to the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE). GKIDS 2.0 is organized around big ideas and learning progressions. A big idea describes the integration of concepts and skills from the kindergarten standards that are most important for success in first grade. A learning progression shows where the student is in the learning continuum of content and reasoning development regarding the big idea from the GSE. Learning progressions provide the big picture of what is to be learned across the year, relate increased reasoning of standards within the grade and across grades, and support instructional planning. GKIDS 2.0 provides teachers with one source of real-time information to adjust instruction, by identifying what a student already knows, what the student needs next, and by allowing the teacher to monitor growth.
The GKIDS Readiness Check is an additional component of the GKIDS 2.0. It is designed to be administered during the first six weeks of the kindergarten year. The primary purpose of the GKIDS Readiness Check is to highlight knowledge and skills critical for student success in learning – solely to guide instruction. The GKIDS Readiness Check is designed to be developmentally appropriate, reflecting research-based best practices for young learners, and will provide information that allows kindergarten teachers to individualize student instruction.
WIDA ACCESS and WIDA Alternative ACCESS
WIDA ACCESS is administered, annually, to all English learners in Georgia. WIDA ACCESS is a standards-based, criterion referenced English language proficiency test designed to measure English learners’ social and academic proficiency in English. It assesses social and instructional English as well as the language associated with language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies within the school context across the four language domains. WIDA ACCESS meets the federal requirements that mandate states evaluate EL students in grades K through 12 on their progress in learning to speak English.
WIDA Alternate ACCESS is a recently developed, individually administered test. It is intended only for English learners with significant cognitive disabilities that are severe enough to prevent meaningful participation in the WIDA ACCESS assessment. WIDA Alternate ACCESS is not intended for ELs who can be served with special education accommodations on WIDA ACCESS. Decisions regarding a student's participation must be made by an IEP team.
The Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA) 2.0
The Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA) 2.0 is designed to ensure that students with significant cognitive disabilities are provided access to the state academic content standards and given the opportunity to demonstrate achievement of the knowledge, concepts, and skills inherent in the standards. This assessment provides meaningful information about classroom instruction and helps identify students’ areas of strength and improvement. The GAA 2.0 is comprised of standardized performance tasks and is intended to provide tiered participation within the assessment for students working at various levels of complexity. The GAA 2.0 is designed to measure the degree to which students with significant cognitive disabilities have mastered alternate achievement standards in the core content areas of English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.
The GAA 2.0 is administered to all eligible students in the following areas:
- Grades 3-8 and high school will be assessed in English language arts and mathematics.
- Grade 5 will also be assessed in science.
- Grades 8 and high school will also be assessed in science and social studies.
Testing Calendar:
2023-24 Testing Calendar
Research Approval Forms:
District Data:
Test Scores and Assessment Data