Gov. Nathan Deal says he expects student testing costs will still rise despite the state's decision not to use a standardized test being developed for use nationally under the Common Core academic standards.

Deal said Thursday the state can anticipate spending more money on testing and noted the challenge for Georgia will be to design a test that not only measures student progress but shows that progress as comparable to students around the country.

Last week, state officials announced Georgia was withdrawing from a partnership among several states working to create a test tied to Common Core, which has been the subject of intense criticism from various groups.

Deal has said he supports having rigorous standards but the state couldn't afford the high costs associated with the test being developed.

Tags: education, testing, Governor Nathan Deal, common core