The percentage of high school students meeting or exceeding standards on the Georgia High School Writing Test increased this year, with 93 percent passing the exam. That according to a press release from the Georgia Department of Education. 
 
Those figures are  up from 91 percent passing the exam last year and 88 percent in 2007, when the current, more rigorous assessment was first introduced. What’s more, minority and special education students are improving their performance on the test at a higher rate than white students, narrowing the achievement gap.

 

Highlights from the fall administration of the Georgia High School Writing Test:
 
  • Ninety-three (93) percent of all students met or exceeded the standard for the test, a 2 percentage point increase from 91 percent in 2011.
 
  • Since the inception of the GHSWT as a GPS-based test in 2007, the percentage of all students meeting or exceeding the standard for the test has increased by 5 percentage points from 88 percent in 2007 to 93 percent in 2012.
  • The achievement gap between black and white students meeting or exceeding the standard has decreased by 4 percentage points from 10 percent to 6 percent.  Gains were made by both groups, but gains made by black students exceeded those made by white students. Ninety (90) percent of black students met or exceeded the standard for the test, a 3 percentage point increase from 87 percent in 2011.
·        The achievement gap between Hispanic and white students meeting or exceeding the standard has decreased by 8 percentage points from 13 percent to 5 percent. Gains were made by both groups, but gains made by Hispanic students exceeded those made by White students. Ninety-one (91) percent of Hispanic students met or exceeded the standard for the test, a 2 percentage point increase from 89 percent in 2011. 
·   
     The achievement gap between special education grade 11 first-time test takers and all grade 11 first-time test takers meeting or exceeding the standard has decreased by 11 percentage points from 34 percent to 23 percent.  Seventy-two (72) percent of special education grade eleven first-time test-takers met or exceeded the standard for the test, a 6 percentage point increase from 66 percent in 2011.