The Nation's Report Card: Arts 2008

Report of 8th Grade Achievement in the Arts First Since 1997

On June 15, 2009, The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)released The Nation's Report Card (report) on the performance of 8th grade students in music and visual arts as measured on the NAEP assessment administered January-March, 2008 to 7,900 students nationwide. The results were compared to the last time NAEP administered the arts assessment in 1997. Student and school background factors as related to arts achievement are also included in the report.

Students taking the assessments in music were asked questions that required both responding and creative and critical thinking. A sample response question was to ask students to identify the instrument featured in a solo piece of music.

Students in the visual arts were asked to identify the similarities between two self-portraits. They were also asked to add a project to the tasks being measured by including the creation of a self-portrait with materials that were supplied.

The full assessment that includes grades 4 and 12 was not included due to budget cuts. Dance and Theater were not assessed due to the small number of schools that offer all four arts.

The 2008 NAEP arts assessment indicates a decrease in student achievement and a decrease in student visits to museums and other cultural institutions. View data, full report and archived webcast of the NAEP news release event.

The purpose for conducting an assessment in the arts is to provide evidence based practices to guide arts education instruction and make these practices available to all educators and students.

SAT Online Prep Course - for Free

FREE ACCESS TO COLLEGE BOARD'S SAT ONLINE PREP COURSE AVAILABLE TO GEORGIA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

By KATHY COX
State Superintendent of Schools

Parents, would you like your child to score 50 points higher on the SAT without spending an extra dime?
If so, we have a great offer for you.

The state of Georgia offers high school students free access to the SAT Online Prep Course developed by the College Board, the group that administers the SAT. This online course gives students access to virtual preparation exercises, review quizzes and several practice tests. The practice quizzes and tests, including the essay portion, are scored and feedback is given directly to the student.

The free SAT Online Prep Course is open to all Georgia high school students – public, private and home schooled. While usage of the program continues to rise, we want to make sure that every parent and student knows about it and knows the impact it can have.

Among Georgia's 2008 graduating seniors, the students who used the free SAT Prep Course scored significantly better on all portions of this important college entrance exam. On average, these students:
- Scored 13 points better on the critical reading section
- Scored 19 points better on the mathematics section
- Scored 16 points better on the writing section

That means the students who used the online course scored, on average, a total of 48 points higher than those who did not.
As you well know, 48 points could be the difference between getting into the college of your choice or not.

So, if you are, like me, the parent of a high school student in
Georgia, please make sure he or she registers for the free Online SAT Prep Course and takes full advantage of it. It’s an easy – and economical – way
to help your student be as successful as possible on this very important
test.

Public school students should visit their guidance office to ask for a card that has an access code for the course. Private school and home-schooled students should go to the Georgia Department of Education’s
website to register.

Kathy Cox, a parent and a veteran classroom teacher, is Georgia’s Superintendent of Schools.

Laymen’s Guide to Student Testing Schedule

Overview of Education Testing in Georgia Schools

State and National testing programs are administered to Georgia’s students as a means for educators, parents and the students themselves to measure educational progress against benchmarks and goals appropriate for a grade and age group. The results for many tests taken in the 2007-2008 school year will be announced between April and July.

The tests include:
Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT)
Students in Grades 1-8 take this test. Some sections of the test determine if students in Grades 3, 5 and 8 move onto the next grade. The CRCT is designed to measure how well students acquire the skills and knowledge described in the curriculum standards know as Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) and the Quality Core Curriculum (QCC).

End of Course Tests (EOCT)
The EOCT align with the Georgia curriculum standards and include assessment of specific content knowledge and skills for students in Grades 9-12. Core subjects include:
Mathematics: Algebra I and GeometrySocial Studies: United States History and Economics/Business/Free Enterprise
Science: Biology and Physical Science
English Language Arts: Ninth Grade Literature and Composition and American Literature and Composition

Georgia High School Graduation Tests (GHSGT)
To earn a high school diploma, students must pass the Georgia High School Graduation Tests in four content areas as well as the Georgia Writing Assessment. Students in Grade 11 take the Writing Assessment in the fall and tests in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies occur in the spring.

Georgia Writing Assessments
Georgia’s Writing Assessments are performance-based writing assessments administered to students in Grades 3, 5, 8 and 11.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress
This program is administered in Grades 4, 8 and 12.

Click here for more information from the Georgia Department of Education.

Click here for information on Georgia’s Education Scoreboard.