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Published Wednesday, June 09, 2010 in Local

Statewide CRCT results to be released today

By Jeff Bishop

The Newnan Times-Herald

At today's State Board of Education meeting Superintendent Kathy Cox will release statewide results for the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT).

Gov. Sonny Perdue pushed back Tuesday against legislative attempts to scale back CRCT testing at some early grade levels.

"It is unwise to eliminate the CRCT in grades 1 and 2," Perdue said in a press release.

Cox said that this year's system-level CRCT results will be available no later than June 23, and school-level results will be available no later than July 8, according to the Department of Education. Individual student scores were sent out last month.

The State Board of Education meeting will be held today at 2 p.m. at the Georgia Department of Education, (State Board Room, East Tower, 20th Floor) 205 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive, in Atlanta.

On Tuesday, Gov. Sonny Perdue issued 15 agency directives to ignore intent language included in the budget, which included some sections related to the Department of Education and the CRCT.

"The budget is an appropriations act, not general law, and therefore intent language is non-binding," Perdue explained.

In the budget's Section 23, pertaining to the Department of Education, page 68, line 2070, the General Assembly sought to "instruct the department to eliminate funds for the CRCT for grades 1 and 2 in the testing program." But CRCTs in grades 1 and 2 ensure that students in those grades are meeting state standards and give parents confidence that their children are making adequate progress, Perdue noted.

CRCTs in grades 1 and 2 also help prepare students for the CRCT in grade 3, the passage of which is required to move on to 4th grade, he stated.

"It is unwise to eliminate the CRCT in grades 1 and 2," Perdue said. "The department is authorized to operate the program in accordance with the purpose of the program and the general law powers of the department."

Also, in Section 23, page 68, line 2071, the General Assembly sought to "instruct the department to eliminate funds for the writing assessment for grades 3 and 5 in the testing program," the governor stated.

"Writing is one of the most fundamental skills a student must master in order to be prepared for later grades and ultimately to succeed in life," said Perdue. "Failing to administer writing assessments in grades 3 and 5 will have a detrimental effect on students and could possibly lead to an inadequate amount of instruction in this fundamental skill."

Therefore, "the department is authorized to operate the program in accordance with the purpose of the program and the general law powers of the department."

Perdue explained that, in cases where the language is non-binding, the governor may authorize agencies to utilize funds subject to non-binding intent language in accordance with the overall purpose of the appropriation and within their general law authority.

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