Georgia House of Representatives
Public Information Office
Room 505, Legislative Office Building
Atlanta, GA 30334
404-656-5082 1-800-282-5800
2-1971-5125
For Immediate Release 		 
February 16, 2004
Reece Supports Delay in Gateway Test for 3rd Graders
Says schools were not given tools to identify and help failing students
Atlanta –Representative Barbara Massey Reece (D-Menlo) is supporting legislation which would delay implementation of a gateway reading test for this year’s third graders. Under HB 1310, third graders would still be required to take this year’s criterion referenced competency tests for reading, but a student’s promotion to the fourth grade would not depend upon passing the test.

The reading gateway test for third graders was passed as a part of Georgia’s “A-plus Education Reform Act,” and is scheduled to take effect this year. However, that legislation also presupposed that the children taking the reading exam in 3rd grade had been given a similar exam as second graders, allowing schools to identify and provide extra instruction for students at risk of failure. Those tests were not administered to last year’s second graders due to a glitch in the test’s makeup.

“This is such a high stakes test, and this will be the first time these kids are seeing this type of test,” said Rep. Reece. “I don’t see how we can hold these children responsible without first giving our school systems every tool they need to give our kids the best chance for success.”

The legislation would still require next year’s third graders to pass the test in order to be promoted. Because the test will be administered this year, schools will be able to examine the reading scores for this year’s second grade class to identify students at risk of failure. Tutoring services and extra summer classes will be available to bring slower learners up to speed prior to taking next year’s gateway reading exam.

HB 1310 also addresses this year’s third grade class by requiring all schools to identify failing students and to develop a remedial program to bring them up to par. These efforts would be tracked by the Department of Education, as well as the Georgia General Assembly.

“I’m 100 percent in favor of holding student’s to a standard,” Reece continued, “But in this instance, we’ve got to make sure that we don’t hold thousands of kids accountable for what was essentially a Department of Education mistake.”

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For more information contact Rep. Reece at 404-656-0305