Fulton test scores below average, despite high achieving schools (Fairburn: 2015, school districts)

[demonta4]

Fulton test scores below average, despite high achieving schools | Neighbor Newspapers | mdjonline.com

The Georgia Department of Education released results for the 2015 College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) Tuesday.

The CCRPI replaced the No Child Left Behind progress reports in Georgia in 2012. It is intended to measure how well schools and school districts are preparing students for college or careers. The scores are based on a 100-point scale, which includes three factors: achievement, progress and achievement gap.

Fulton County's schools received a score of 74.7 compared to a state average of 75.5, though the district said in an email most schools performed above the state average. Chief of Staff Rob Anderson said the county scored above the state average in the achievement factor in elementary, middle and high schools.

The district's elementary schools scored highest overall with an average score of 77.4, higher than the state elementary school average of 76. Sweet Apple Elementary scored a near-perfect 99.7; Findley Oaks scored 98.2.

Fulton middle schools tied their state average of 71.2 points -- Webb Bridge Middle School was near the top with a 97.2 -- but the district's high schools were below the average at 71.8 points compared to 75.8 for the state's high schools.

Those high school scores are slightly down from 2014, but officials say this year's tests should not be compared to those of previous years.

“This year's CCRPI had some new criteria that would not make this year's scores comparable with previous scores,” said Julia Bernath of the county board of education. “Whenever a test like this is renormed, the first year serves as a new benchmark for future scores.”

Those changes include new category weights, recalculated performance targets and a new test, Georgia Milestones, which many educators say is more difficult than the previous exams.

“2014 was more focused on achievement, and then the weights changed from 2014 to 2015,” Anderson said. “And the Milestones test changed. This was the baseline year.”

In spite of the changes, the county's scores are slightly up from last year, when the district scored a 73.4 average.

Anderson said the recently released data from the tests reflect student scores from a year ago and teachers have spent much of that time preparing students for the new tests.

“So I would say our schools have already been looking at that data, analyzing that data and making sure we have the proper supports for all students to make sure they achieve, especially in the areas of literacy and mathematics,” he said.

The county’s schools are broken down into learning communities, and Anderson said the past eight months have seen a focus on building literacy skills in the communities in which students are having the most trouble.

It's pretty obvious that the South Fulton schools are bringing the percentage down. They're really gonna have to find a different way to bring the scores up down here, cause what they've been doing for the past decade hasn't worked, especially from what I've seen at Banneker. A lot of administrators have told me that the North Fulton schools are run like a totally different district with a more professional environment, and rules that are actually enforced which keeps students in check. It's a total shame they can't do this in the communities where discipline is needed most.

[JoeTarheel]

Originally Posted by demonta4

Fulton test scores below average, despite high achieving schools | Neighbor Newspapers | mdjonline.com



It's pretty obvious that the South Fulton schools are bringing the percentage down. They're really gonna have to find a different way to bring the scores up down here, cause what they've been doing for the past decade hasn't worked, especially from what I've seen at Banneker. A lot of administrators have told me that the North Fulton schools are run like a totally different district with a more professional environment, and rules that are actually enforced which keeps students in check. It's a total shame they can't do this in the communities where discipline is needed most.

I think it's a pretty common theme just about anywhere you go. The schools in lower-income areas just don't perform as well and probably never will. I taught in a South Fulton elementary school for a few years and we worked our butts off to improve the scores but they just got worse and worse as the community went downhill (Fairburn). It was frustrating...from my experiences the schools are run any differently but the students are certainly different.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by JoeTarheel

It was frustrating...from my experiences the schools are run any differently but the students are certainly different.

Joe, did you mean to say the schools are run differently or they are not run any differently? Wasn't sure whether that as an inadvertent typo (since I make them all the time).

As someone who's been in the trenches I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on how things can be improved.