State may retire high school graduation tests

ATLANTA - Those dreaded high school graduation tests in Georgia may soon be history.

The state Board of Education is considering replacing the graduation test with the end of course tests which are already given.

Athens-Clarke County Schools spokeswoman Anisa Sullivan Jimenez tells Georgia News Network the idea sounds like a good one.

"Students have multiple opportunities to take the test. So we would want to make sure that if the graduation test was replaced by the end of course test, that the flexibility was built into that as well."

Jimenez says that would also reduce the number of testing days. "I know there would be less administration of tests since students already take end of course tests. Having end of course tests has the assessments more aligned to the curriculum since the students would be taking the tests at the end of the course."

If approved, the change could take effect in 2014.