What is the Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA)?
The Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA) is to be used when the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team decides that a student should not participate in the state-mandated assessments even with maximum accommodations. The GAA assesses a student in Communication and seven other curriculum categories (Daily Living/Personal Management, Motor, Cognitive/Functional Academics, Social/Emotional, Community, Vocational, Recreation/Leisure). A students progress is assigned one of four scoring levels/ratings (initial, emerging, progressing, or functional) in each category assessed. The IEP team determines for each student which additional curriculum categories in addition to Domain 1 (Communication) will be assessed. The GAA is not an alternate for the Georgia High School Graduation Tests (GHSGT) or the Georgia High School Writing Test (GHSWT) in terms of satisfying the assessment requirements for a regular high-school diploma, but is an alternate for purposes of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).
