By Johnny Jackson
jjackson@henryherald.com

Georgia’s college-bound high school students can skip placement testing, if they score well enough in English on the state’s graduation exam.

Beginning this fall, students who score at the advanced proficiency or honors level on the English Language Arts portion of the Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT) will be exempt from additional placement testing on the subject, the Georgia Department of Education has reported.

School officials said students’ high marks on the English Language Arts test will be accepted by the Technical College System of Georgia, and the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, as an indication the student is prepared to succeed in post-secondary English course work without remediation. Officials advise students, however, to check with individual institutions for additional information on admissions and placement-testing requirements.

“Over the last several years, the Georgia Department of Education, the Technical College System of Georgia, and the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia have worked to develop and adopt a shared vision of college and career readiness,” Georgia Schools Superintendent Kathy Cox wrote in a letter to the state’s district superintendents last week.

“I am sure you are as pleased with this collaboration as I am,” Cox said. “This initiative represents a significant milestone in achieving a seamless educational system for Georgia students.”