Georgia Milestones Guide

Thank you for taking the time to view this document. The goal is to help prepare you and your students for the Georgia Milestones Assessments. Please let us know if you have any questions.

• Be sure to read over the document for helpful tips & information
• Follow the links to access the study guides and pracitce tests
• Please let us know if you have any questions

3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students will take the Georgia Milestones Assessment April 20th-23rd.

April 20th - ELA Section 1 (writing)

April 21st - ELA Section 2 & 3

April 22nd - Math

April 23rd - Science (5th grade ONLY)

May 18th-20th Retest Dates

The Georgia Milestones Assessment System is a comprehensive assessment program spanning 3rd grade through 8th grades.

Georgia Milestones measures how well students have learned the knowledge and skills outlined in the state-adopted content standards in language arts, math, science, and social studies. Students in 3rd - 8th grade will take an End-of-Grade (EOG) assessment in English Language Arts and Mathematics, while 5th & 8th grade will also take tests in Science.

More importantly, the Georgia Milestones is designed to provide students with information about their own achievement and readiness for their next level of learning.

• Open-ended (constructed-response) items in English Language Arts assessment
• A writing component (in response to passages read) in the ELA assessment
• Multiple-choice items

This assessment will be administered online. Special accommodations can be made for students who cannot interact with a computer or device due to their disability.

• Georgia Milestones measures how well a student has acquired the knowledge and skills outlined in the standards for their grade level.
• Redesigned ELA (2025-2026): Aligned to new state standards, the ELA assessments will provide a composite score based on Reading & Vocabulary and Writing & Language.
• Students are not compared to each other but are measured on how well they are meeting these standards.
• Student achievement in each content area is classified into four performance levels called Achievement Levels.
• Scores are scaled so that they are comparable and carry the same meaning to all stakeholders (the state of Georgia, school systems, schools, teachers, parents, and the community).
• A range of scaled scores will fall into one of four Achievement Levels.

No ELA Scores will be available until November or December 2026.

At Ringgold Elementary, we establish our school goals for student learning at the beginning of each school year. Our students and staff work hard all year long to achieve these goals. Our goals are included in our Family-School Compacts & in our School-wide Improvement Plan.

One of our School Goals for the 2025-2026 school year is as follows:

The percentage of students scoring at proficient or above on the 5th grade Science Milestones assessment will increase from 45.7% to 50% on the 2026 Milestones assessment.

The action steps that we have done/will do this school year to work towards this goal are:

• All students will attend STEAM lab as a weekly connections’ class so that students are exposed to additional time with science, technology, and math standards and content.
• STEAM paraprofessional will apply for additional grants to provide funding for fun science/STEAM projects to do during their STEAM time.
• We will hold a STEAM Night during the fall semester. The fair will provide fun learning opportunities for students to learn and enhance their science and math content with their families.

• Encourage your child to do their best and to use good test-taking skills, such as following directions carefully, avoiding careless errors, and reviewing their answers.
• Explain to your child that the purpose of this test is to show what they have learned in school. Point out that some items may be more difficult than others, so they should try not to get discouraged.
• Provide your child with opportunities to get plenty of sleep and to have a healthy breakfast and lunch.
• Arrive at school on time. Arriving on time ensures that your child is not rushed.
• Appreciate your child's hard work. Remember to ask your child about the test at the end of each day.

Students who are prepared, calm, and rested perform better on tests!

Click the buttons below for the following resources:

• practice tests
• study guides
• achievement level descriptors
• other helpful resources
• guide to interpreting test results

Thank you for taking the time to review the above information pertaining to the Georgia Milestones assessment. We hope this information is helpful in understanding the Milestones test and assists you in better helping your student during the test. If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child's teacher, our administration, or Cathy Cooper, Title I Parent Involvement Coordinator at RES.

Click the button below to view additional RES Title 1 handouts, resources & information.

Cathy Cooper, Parent Involvement Coordinator

Email: ccooper.res@catoosa.k12.ga.us
Website: res.catoosa.k12.ga.us
Location: 322 Evitt Lane, Ringgold, GA, USA
Phone: 706-935-2912