Published 7:41 am Friday, August 7, 2026 ATLANTA— Statewide scores on the Georgia Milestones tests continued to rise in math as teachers adapted to standards that were updated several years ago. The 2025-26 results for every subject but English were released Thursday. The Georgia Department of Education said it needs until November to assess the English Language Arts scores before a public release because the teaching standards for that subject were recently updated, with students taking their first tests on them this past school year. Georgia began rewriting its math standards in 2019, with the first testing after implementation coming during the 2023-24 school year. Scores in that subject have been climbing ever since, reaching record highs in grades four through six and in high school Algebra. State School Superintendent Richard Woods attributed the gains to hard work. Experts pointed to other positive trends, such as the use of data from other types of testing throughout the school year to tailor instruction to each student’s evolving needs. “Since the pandemic, districts have been paying a lot more attention to individualized learning plans — how we use data throughout the year to assess where students are and how we can bring them forward,” said Mary-Kate Starkel, chief of staff for redefinED Atlanta, an education advocacy group that promotes data analysis in education. Matt Smith, policy and research director for the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education…
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