State Assessment Programs
Georgia Milestones Assessment System
The Georgia Milestones Assessment System (GMAS) is a comprehensive summative assessment program and represents a single system of summative assessments that span all three levels of the state's educational system: elementary, middle, and 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.
Georgia Milestones End-of-Grade (EOG) Assessment
Students in grades 3, 4, 6, and 7 take End-of-Grade (EOG) assessments in English/language arts and mathematics.
Students in grades 5 take End-of-Grade (EOG) assessments in English/language arts, mathematics, and science.
Students in grade 8 take End-of-Grade (EOG) assessments in English/language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.
EOG Resources:
EOG Test Practice for Grades 3-8 EOG Grades 3-8 Study Guides for Students and Parents EOG Grades 3, 5, & 8 ELA Interpreting & Constructing Texts (ICT) Scoring Samplers
EOG Test Practice for Grades 3-8 (Text-To-Speech Accommodation)
Questions and Answers for Parents Questions and Answers for Parents (Spanish)
Georgia Milestones End-of-Course (EOC) Assessment
Students enrolled in the courses listed below are required to complete the corresponding End-of-Course assessment upon finishing the course. The grade earned on the End-of-Course assessment will count as 20% of the student’s final course grade.
Literature & Composition II
Algebra: Concepts & Connections
Biology
United States History
EOC Resources:
EOG Test Practice for EOC Courses EOC Course Study Guides for Students and Parents EOC Literature & Composition II Interpreting & Constructing Texts (ICT) Scoring Samplers
EOG Test Practice for EOC Courses (Text-To-Speech Accommodation)
Questions and Answers for Parents Questions and Answers for Parents (Spanish)
Georgia Alternate Assessment 2.0
The Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA) 2.0 is an alternate assessment based on alternate academic achievement standards required for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who receive instruction based on extended content standards, which are aligned to the state content standards at a reduced depth, breadth, and complexity.
Students in grades 3, 4, 6, and 7 take the Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA) 2.0 in English/language arts and mathematics.
Students in grades 5 take the Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA) 2.0 in English/language arts, mathematics, and science.
Students in grade 8 and 11 take the Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA) 2.0 in English/language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.
GAA 2.0 Resources:
WIDA ACCESS/Alternate ACCESS for English Learners (ELs)
WIDA ACCESS is the collective name for WIDA's suite of summative English language proficiency assessments. WIDA ACCESS is given annually to English learners in kindergarten through grade 12 to monitor student progress in learning academic English. Students who are identified as English learners with the most significant cognitive disabilities are assessed using the WIDA Alternate ACCESS.
Educators use WIDA ACCESS results to:
Determine when ELs have attained English language proficiency
Monitor an ELs annual progress in English language proficiency
Inform classroom instruction and assessment
Provide reliable and valid data sources for accountability and aid in academic decision-making
WIDA ACCESS tests include:
WIDA ACCESS for Kindergarten
WIDA ACCESS Online (grades 1-12)
WIDA Alternate ACCESS (grades K-12)
WIDA ACCESS/Alternate ACCESS Resources:
Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (GKIDS) 2.0
The Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (GKIDS) is a year-long, performance-based assessment. The goal of the assessment program is to provide teachers with information about the level of instructional support needed for individual students entering kindergarten and first grade. GKIDS allows teachers to assess student performance during instruction, record student performance in an on-line database, and generate reports for instructional planning, progress reports, report cards, student support teams, and parent conferences.
The GKIDS Readiness Check is a component of GKIDS 2.0. It is designed to be administered during the first six weeks of the kindergarten year. The GKIDS Readiness Check is aligned to the Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards (GELDS) and correlated to the state mandated content standards for kindergarten. The goal of the assessment is to provide information about the skills students possess entering kindergarten.
GKIDS Readiness Check Resources:
GKIDS Readiness Check Parent Flyer
GKIDS Readiness Check Parent Flyer (Spanish)
GKIDS 2.0 Resources:
National Assessment of Educational Progress
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what students know and can do in various subjects. It is administered by the National Center for Education Statistics, within the U.S. Department of Education. NAEP is different from our state assessment because it provides a common measure of student achievement across the country. The results are released as The Nation's Report Card, which provides information about student achievement to educators, parents, policymakers, and the public.
The Georgia Department of Education notifies selected schools and grade levels within the school of their participation prior to the start of the new school year.
Assessment Security
The successful implementation of a system-wide student assessment program in Lowndes County Schools (LCS) requires the dedicated cooperation of all personnel involved in the testing process. Maintaining the integrity of assessments is essential to ensuring fair and accurate measurement of student achievement, and it reflects the district’s commitment to educational excellence.
In alignment with the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) Student Assessment Handbook, LCS considers any action that compromises test security or invalidates individual or group test scores to be a serious violation. Such actions are deemed inappropriate and will be addressed accordingly. Under no circumstances may test materials be reproduced or duplicated unless explicitly authorized by the GaDOE. Violations of U.S. Copyright Laws protecting these materials may result in legal consequences and must be reported immediately to the GaDOE.
To uphold assessment integrity, all personnel involved in test administration are required to attend training sessions prior to each testing cycle. These sessions cover essential topics such as roles and responsibilities, proper handling of secure test materials, and procedures for identifying and reporting irregularities.
Lowndes County Schools remains committed to upholding the highest standards of assessment security. Any concerns related to test integrity should be reported immediately to ensure swift and appropriate action. Through vigilance and adherence to policy, LCS safeguards every student’s performance to be measured fairly and accurately.
For additional information pertaining to Lowndes County Schools’ Assessment and Accountability obligations, please contact Dr. Matt Faircloth, District Testing Administrator or LeAnne McCall, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, at 229-245-2250.