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Common
Question regarding Gwinnett's AKS
Click on a question below to see the answer.
What are the Academic Knowledge and Skills?
How can a parent review the AKS?
Do the AKS apply to all students?
How do you know if my child is learning
the AKS?
What are the Gateway tests?
What if my child doesn't pass the Gateway?
If we move to Gwinnett mid-school-year
and my child is in a Gateway grade level, will he be
expected to pass the test in order to
progress to the next grade?
Do all GCPS students have to take the
Gateway tests?
If my family moves to Gwinnett County,
will my child have to take the Gateway test given at a previous grade level?
Academic Knowledge & Skills
Please click on the link below to view the Academic Knowledge and
Skills database for all grades in Gwinnett County Public Schools.The
listing is subdivided by grade, discipline, and objective type.
Academic Knowledge And Skills
What are the Academic Knowledge and
Skills?
Gwinnett's curriculum for grades K–12 is called the Academic Knowledge
and Skills
(AKS). The AKS for each grade level (or subject area at the high school
level) spell out
the essential things students are expected to know and be able to do in
that particular
grade or subject. They offer a solid base on which teachers build rich
curricular
experiences. Teachers use curriculum guides, textbooks, technology, and
other materials
to teach the AKS and to make sure every student is learning to his or her
potential.
Because the AKS detail exactly what a child is expected to learn, teachers
can tailor the
classroom experience to meet a child's individual needs.
How can a parent review the AKS?
At the beginning of each school year, parents receive a free booklet outlining
the AKS
for their child's grade level. Newcomers wishing to review the AKS prior
to relocating
may do so on the school system's web site (www.gwinnett.k12.ga.us). Printed
copies
also are available for a fee by calling (770) 513-6619 to request an order
form. When
ordering, specify individual grade-level AKS booklets at a cost of $4 each,
or the AKS
booklet covering grades K–12, at a cost of $7.50.
Do the AKS apply to all students?
Yes. Students come to school with different educational backgrounds, learning
styles,
and ability levels. Some may even speak a different language. Yet all students
will need
to learn the essential knowledge and skills included in the AKS in order
to be successful
as they move into higher education and/or the workforce.
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How do you know if my child is learning
the AKS?
• Grades on tests, projects, reports, quizzes, homework, and classwork
are all based on a
child's AKS progress.
• Progress Checks— practice tests given in grades 1, 2, and 6— also indicate
how well
students are learning the AKS.
• The Gateway tests in grades 4, 5, 7, 8, and 10 are an essential measure
of AKS
progress.
What are the Gateway tests?
Gwinnett's Gateway tests are designed to measure how well a student has
learned the
AKS and to determine readiness to proceed to the next grade. The tests,
which were
field tested for one year and piloted for two, are used to determine promotion.Gateway
tests are given at the following grade levels:
• Grades 4 and 7— Subtests cover language arts, mathematics, science, and
social
studies.
• Grades 5 and 8— Georgia Writing Test (GCPS students must meet a minimum
passing
score.)
• Grade 10— GCPS writing test on social studies and science topics (Passing
this test is
required to earn a diploma.)
NOTE: Students in Grade 11 must pass the Georgia High School Graduation
Test to
earn a diploma.
What if my child doesn't pass
the Gateway?
• A review procedure is in place for students in grades 4 and 7 who earned
no grade
lower than a "C" in all Gateway-related areas during the year, but who
failed a portion of
the test. This procedure calls for an impartial committee to review information—
grades,
other standardized test results, extenuating circumstances, etc.— provided
by the child's
teachers and parents. Using this information, the committee will make a
decision about
the student's best placement. Recommendations might include waiving passage
of the
Gateway for promotion; waiving passage of the test, but recommending summer
school;
or requiring retake and passage of the Gateway and recommending summer
school.
• Academic summer school is offered systemwide, at no charge to parents,
to help
students prepare for a retest. Students who do not pass the retest at the
end of the
summer do not simply repeat the same grade. A transition plan will provide
these
students with extra opportunities to learn the AKS they didn't master previously,
preparing them for another Gateway retest while they also work on the next
grade level's
curriculum .
• Tenth graders who fail the test may continue to take courses to earn
credits toward
graduation. They also will have at least seven opportunities to retake
and pass the
Gateway before the scheduled graduation date for their class.
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If we move to Gwinnett mid-school-year
and my child is in a Gateway grade level, will he be expected to pass the
test in order to progress to the next grade?
Yes. Teachers assess incoming students and help them learn the AKS in preparation
for
the test.
Do all GCPS students have to take
the Gateway tests?
Yes, with rare exceptions. Promotion and retention for special education
students is
based on their Individual Education Plans (IEP). Students in the English
to Speakers of
Other Languages (ESOL) program may be exempt from the Gateway tests, based
on
recommendations from their Student Support Team. However, all students
will have to
pass the high school Gateway to earn a college preparatory, technical,
or combination
diploma. For some students with special needs, the test and/or the test
administration
may be adapted as required in their IEP.
If my family moves to Gwinnett
County, will my child have to take the Gateway test given at a previous
grade level?
Elementary and middle school students entering a Gwinnett school at a non-Gateway
grade level will not have to take the Gateway test from a previous grade
level. High
school students moving to Gwinnett who will graduate in the spring of 2002
or later will
have to pass the high school Gateway test in order to earn a diploma.
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