Elementary students attend pep rally before CRCT's - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

Elementary students attend pep rally before CRCT's

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By Wainwright Jeffers - bio | email

ALBANY, GA (WALB) – Georgia students begin taking those important Criterion Referenced Competency Tests Monday morning.

It's the first testing since a state audit brought up questions about possible widespread test tampering in Dougherty County.

Some folks in the community are working to give students the skills they need to do well on the tests.

This year, state monitors will oversee testing in eight Dougherty County schools listed in the severe category. A recent test analysis showed the system had suspiciously high number of wrong answers changed to right answers last year.

But they're not too worried about that at a local church.

Graceland Institute and 21st Century After School Tutorial Program has been helping students prep for the test.

"We're trying to get the kids motivated," said Cicely Grant, Social Worker.

They anticipate the work they've done here will pay off and increase test scores.

"We're focused on the 3rd, 5th, and 8th graders here," said Pastor Stephen Stallworth, Greater Grace COGIC.

Program leaders say says more children could benefit from the extra help.

"We're finding there is a need and we're working with them to help them as far as their reading, writing, and math," said Stallworth.

The church started the after school sessions in 2009.

"This is something we got into last year along with the Department of Education, it's something we asked God for and he allowed us to get the grant to do this," said Stallworth.

"We have many parents who support us, and thank us for helping their children, because they need that extra push we're trying to give them," said Grant.

Sorority and fraternity steppers got the crowd excited. Program leaders hope they'll be able to celebrate just as much after they get their scores.

Dougherty County school leaders said they wanted this year's testing process to be more open.

They invited us to watch their testing procedures, but they rescinded that invitation.

Even though other members of the community will allowed in, all members of the media will be banned from schools during testing.

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