BALDWIN COUNTY, Ga. — Governor Brian Kemp wants to ease both teacher and student stress by cutting down on some standardized testing requirements regarding the Georgia Milestones.
Spring testing for the Milestones is just around the corner for these Baldwin County High School students. 11th grader Willie Williams is getting his mind ready.
"Sometimes I do get a little stressed out, but not very much, because I know I have like a certain amount of tests that I'm going to have to take. and I'm already getting prepared for it," Williams said.
The Milestones include 24 different subject tests given to Georgia students at various grade levels. That's much higher than the federal requirement of 17.
"It's really to provide an accountability system for how our students are learning and what they're achieving in the classroom," Baldwin High Principal Jason Flanders said.
Currently, high school students take two tests each in four subjects: math, English, science, and social studies.
The bill would reduce the number of tests, making it closer to the national requirement.
"We give our students eight tests, and right now they're looking to cut that number down to four and basically cut it to one per subject area," Flanders said.
Those eight tests take up a full week. Flanders says the tests may take a lot of prep time, but there's been successful results.
"Georgia, for the two years, has been above the national average for public school students taking the SAT. It's hard to say it's just due to the accountability measures that have been placed in Georgia, but that's been a big help in raising those scores," Flanders said.
Both Williams and Flanders say they'll wait and see whether the cut will help students.
"Cutting back would really help, because it would bring a more relaxed atmosphere in the school," Williams said.
"We do have students that have test anxiety, and that has to be looked at as well, and so there's a multitude of factors you have to look at to say whether in the end it's going to be a benefit or a detriment to our students," Flanders said.
The bill will also cut fifth grade social studies testing.
Some Georgia lawmakers say the cut may make it harder to see how students' and schools' academic performance compares to others.
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