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Georgia Education News
Georgia Education News
August 2008
Copyright © 2008 Queue, Inc.
IN THIS ISSUE:
Scores Rise, Gap Closes on New CRCT
Georgia ACT Scores Rise as Nation Slips
Forsyth County Schools
Deploys High Performance Wi-Fi Network District-wide
Student performance is rising and the achievement gap is closing in every area where the state's new curriculum has been implemented for more than one year.
The
official statewide results of the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT)
show improvement across the board on the 25 exams that have been aligned to the
Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) for two or three years.
Among
the highlights of the report:
- Mathematics, grade 7: The pass rate was 80 percent, an increase of six points
in one year.
- Science, grade 7: Seventy-five (75) percent of students passed the science
CRCT, an increase of 12 points in two years.
- Reading, all grades: Eighty-seven (87) percent or more of students in all
grades passed the reading CRCT and the pass rate increased in all areas.
Achievement
Gap is Closing
Even
as student achievement increased in all racial subgroups, the achievement gap
between minority students and white students closed in all areas where the GPS
has been in place for more than one year.
Among
the highlights of the score report:
- Reading, grade 4: The pass rates for African-American (81%) and Hispanic
(83%) students have increased 11 points respectively in two years. The
achievement gap has closed 8 points for each group.
- Mathematics, grade 7: The pass rates for African-American (70%) and Hispanic
(77%) students increased 8 points respectively in one year. The achievement gap
closed 5 points in each area.
- Science, grade 7: The pass rates for African-American (62%) and Hispanic
(69%) students have increased 15 points and 16 points respectively in two
years. The achievement gap has closed by 6 or more points.
Performance
on New Tests
In
2008, there were eight CRCTs that were aligned to the GPS for the first time -
mathematics in grades 3-5 and 8; science in grade 8 and social studies in
grades 6-8.
The
results of these tests are not comparable to last year, when the test was
aligned to the old curriculum. In each case, the new test was more rigorous and
required higher order thinking.
Seventy-two
(72) percent of 5th graders and 62 percent of 8th graders passed the new
GPS-aligned CRCT in mathematics. In science, about 60 percent of 8th graders
passed the new CRCT.
The
results of the grade 6 and 7 social studies exams were invalidated due to
alignment issues on the test. Groups of educators and curriculum experts have
made preliminary revisions to the curriculum in these areas. These revisions
will be made available for public comment by the end of the week.
-
State/District/School-level CRCT Results:
-
http://public.doe.k12.ga.us/pea_communications.aspx?ViewMode=1&RctPressView=Enewsletter&obj=1641
-
More
than two-thirds of Georgia's public schools made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)
in 2008, even as the bar was raised across the board.
HIGHER
BAR, MORE RIGOR
In
2008, it was harder for all schools to make AYP for two main reasons.
First,
the percentage of students that had to pass state tests in math, reading and
English went up for all grade levels.
Secondly, students were doing more rigorous work and taking more
rigorous tests in 2008, especially in mathematics.
About
69 percent of all schools made AYP, including 76 percent of elementary schools.
About 65 percent of middle schools and 48 percent of high schools made AYP in
2008.
NEEDS
IMPROVEMENT SCHOOLS
There
are 340 schools in Georgia that are in Needs Improvement status, meaning these
schools have missed AYP for two or more consecutive years. Needs Improvement
(NI) schools must offer options to parents Ð such as tutoring or school choice
Ð and may need to take specific action to improve student performance. The
consequence a school faces depends on how long it has been in Needs
Improvement.
In
2008, 37 schools made AYP for the second consecutive year and got out of Needs
Improvement status -- including six that had been in NI status for five or more
years (see attached list).
GRADUATION
RATE
The
state's preliminary graduation rate is 74.4 percent -- the highest it has ever
been. This rate is expected to increase once summer graduates are included.
Under
the state's NCLB plan, the graduation rate represents the percentage of
students who received a full diploma in four years and a summer. This figure
does not include special education diplomas or certificates of attendance.
37
SCHOOLS THAT CAME OUT OF NEEDS IMPROVEMENT STATUS
Atlanta
Public Schools, Sutton Middle School
Bartow
County, South Central Middle School
Ben
Hill County, Ben Hill County Middle School
Chatham
County, West Chatham Middle School
Clayton
County, Kilpatrick Elementary School
Clayton
County, Babb Middle School
Clinch
County, Clinch County Elementary
Cobb
County, Norton Park Elementary School
Cobb
County, South Cobb High School
Coweta
County, East Coweta High School
DeKalb
County, Chapel Hill Middle School
DeKalb
County, Henderson Middle School
DeKalb
County, Woodward Elementary School
Dodge
County, Dodge County Middle School
Early
County, Early County Middle School
Effingham
County, Effingham County High School
Fulton
County, Riverwood High School
Gilmer
County, Gilmer Middle School
Glynn
County, Glynn Middle School
Gordon
County, Ashworth Middle School
Greene
County, Greene County High School
Gwinnett
County, Norcross High School
Gwinnett
County, Shiloh Middle School
Gwinnett
County, Lilburn Middle School
Gwinnett
County, Summerour Middle School
Hall
County, Chestatee Middle School
Hall
County, Lyman Hall Elementary School
Hall
County, Myers Elementary School
Houston
County, Northside Middle School
Houston
County, Perry High School
Long
County, Long County High School
Meriwether
County, George E. Washington Elementary School
Richmond
County, Hornsby Elementary School
Sumter
County, Staley Middle School
Tattnall
County, Tattnall County High School
Taylor
County, Taylor County Upper Elementary
Whitfield
County, North Whitfield Middle School
NINE
CONTRACT-MONITORED SCHOOLS THAT MADE AYP
(Needs
Improvement for Seven Years)
Atlanta
Public Schools, Kennedy Middle School
Dougherty
County, Merry Acres Middle School
Hall
County, East Hall Middle School
Mitchell
County, Mitchell County Middle School
Muscogee
County, Baker Middle School
Richmond
County, Morgan Road Middle School
Richmond
County, Tubman Middle School
Stewart
County, Stewart-Quitman High School
Thomasville
City, MacIntyre Park Middle School
31
SCHOOLS THAT HAVE MADE AYP FOR 10 CONSECUTIVE YEARS
Atlanta
Public Schools, Fain Elementary School
Atlanta
Public Schools, D. H. Stanton Elementary School
Bacon
County, Bacon County Primary School
Berrien
County, Berrien Primary School
Bleckley
County, Bleckley County Primary School
Burke
County, Waynesboro Primary School
Charlton
County, Bethune Elementary School
Crisp
County, Blackshear Trail Elementary School
Crisp
County, J. S. Pate Elementary School
Dalton
City, Roan Elementary School
Dublin
City, Susie Dasher Elementary School
Dublin
City, Saxon Heights Elementary School
Emanuel
County, Swainsboro Primary School
Fayette
County, Robert J. Burch Elementary School
Fayette
County, North Fayette Elementary School
Fulton
County, Randolph Elementary School
Gainesville
City, Enota Multiple Intelligences Academy
Jasper
County, Jasper County Primary School
McDuffie
County, Thomson Elementary School
McDuffie
County, Maxwell Elementary School
Mitchell
County, Mitchell County Primary School
Monroe
County, T.G. Scott Elementary School
Monroe
County, Samuel E. Hubbard Elementary School
Oconee
County, Oconee County Primary School
Terrell
County, Cooper Primary School
Thomas
County, Garrison-Pilcher Elementary School
Washington
County, Crawford Primary School
Washington
County, Elder Primary School
White
County, Jack P Nix Primary
Wilkes
County, Washington-Wilkes Primary School
Worth
County, Worth County Primary School
SYSTEMS
THAT HAD 100% OF THEIR SCHOOLS MAKE AYP
Bremen
City
Buford
City
Cartersville
City
CCAT
Chickamauga
City
Clay
County
Commerce
City
Echols
County
Evans
County
Fayette
County
Franklin
County
Hancock
County
Heard
County
Jefferson
City
Jefferson
County
Lee
County
Long
County
Miller
County
Monroe
County
Morgan
County
Oconee
County
Oglethorpe
County
Pierce
County
Pike
County
Quitman
County
Rabun
County
Randolph
County
Stephens
County
Stewart
County
Towns
County
Trion
City
Union
County
Wheeler
County
Wilkes
County
Georgia's
ACT scores continued to rise in 2008, even as the national average dropped,
according to results released today.
Additionally,
high school seniors in GeorgiaÕs three largest subgroups Ð Caucasian,
African-American and Hispanic Ð outscored their peers across the nation.
Georgia's
composite ACT score rose to 20.6 in 2008, up from 20.3 in 2007. The national
average dropped to 21.1, down .1 from 2007. GeorgiaÕs scores also increased in
every subject area tested by the ACT Ð English, Reading, Mathematics and Science
-- and the state's national ranking increased to 41st, up from 44th last year
and from 47th in 2002.
In
2008, about 38 percent of GeorgiaÕs high school seniors took the ACT, an
increase of about four percentage points from 2007. In the past five years, the
number of seniors taking the ACT has increased from 20,510 to 33,238.
The
ACT is a curriculum-based achievement test designed to measure college
readiness and preparation. The ACT includes four separate exams in English,
reading, mathematics and science. There is also an optional writing portion.
The exam is scored on a scale from 0 to 36.
AT
OR ABOVE THE NATION
In
2008, GeorgiaÕs African-American students scored .5 points higher than
African-American students across the nation and GeorgiaÕs Hispanic students
scored 1.5 points higher than Hispanic students across the nation. For the
first time in recent history, GeorgiaÕs white students also outscored their
peers across the nation.
SUPPORTING
RIGOR
The
ACT results show that students who take higher-level mathematics courses do
better on the test. That means these students are more likely to get into the
college of their choice and be prepared for the work they will face.
Students
that took advanced mathematics and trigonometry courses scored 3.4 points
higher than the national average math score. Those who also took calculus
scored 7.3 points higher.
Beginning
this year, all Georgia high school students will be required to take four years
of mathematics in order to graduate. After four years of the stateÕs new
mathematics curriculum, all students will have taken the equivalent of core
mathematics, advanced mathematics and trigonometry. Accelerated students will
also have taken the equivalent of calculus.
SCHOOLS
WITH THE 25 HIGHEST SCORES
District,
Schools, ACT Score
COBB
COUNTY, GEORGE WALTON COMP HIGH, 25
COLUMBIA
COUNTY, LAKESIDE HIGH, 24.9
FAYETTE
COUNTY, MCINTOSH HIGH, 24.8
FULTON
COUNTY, NORTHVIEW HIGH, 24.6
FAYETTE
COUNTY, STARR'S MILL HIGH, 24.2
CHATHAM
COUNTY, SAVANNAH ARTS ACADEMY, 24.1
FULTON
COUNTY, CHATTAHOOCHEE HIGH, 24.1
GWINNETT
COUNTY, PARKVIEW HIGH, 24
FULTON
COUNTY, ROSWELL HIGH, 23.9
GWINNETT
COUNTY, BROOKWOOD HIGH, 23.8
MUSCOGEE
COUNTY, COLUMBUS HIGH, 23.8
FULTON
COUNTY, ALPHARETTA HIGH, 23.8
COBB
COUNTY, WHEELER HIGH, 23.7
FULTON
COUNTY, CENTENNIAL HIGH, 23.7
FULTON
COUNTY, RIVERWOOD HIGH, 23.6
COBB
COUNTY, ALAN C POPE HIGH, 23.5
OCONEE
COUNTY, NORTH OCONEE HIGH, 23.5
FULTON
COUNTY, MILTON HIGH, 23.5
DEKALB
COUNTY, CHAMBLEE HIGH, 23.4
GWINNETT
COUNTY, COLLINS HILL HIGH, 23.4
COBB
COUNTY, LASSITER HIGH, 23.3
FORSYTH
COUNTY, SOUTH FORSYTH HIGH, 23.3
GWINNETT
COUNTY, DULUTH HIGH, 23
COBB
COUNTY, KENNESAW MOUNTAIN HIGH, 22.9
DEKALB
COUNTY, LAKESIDE HIGH, 22.9
GWINNETT
COUNTY, PEACHTREE RIDGE HIGH, 22.9
OCONEE
COUNTY, OCONEE COUNTY HIGH, 22.9
SCHOOLS
WITH 25 MOST IMPROVED SCORES
District,
High School, Score, Change
CLARKE
COUNTY, CEDAR SHOALS HIGH 21.1, 3.4
HEARD
COUNTY, HEARD COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE HIGH 20.7, 3.4
LAMAR
COUNTY, LAMAR COUNTY COMP HIGH 20.2, 3.2
APPLING
COUNTY, APPLING COUNTY HIGH 20.8, 3.1
TOWNS
COUNTY, TOWNS COUNTY HIGH 21.5, 3.1
JACKSON
COUNTY, JACKSON CO COMPREHENSIVE HIGH 22.1, 2.8
JONES
COUNTY, JONES COUNTY HIGH 21, 2.5
UNION
COUNTY, UNION COUNTY HIGH 21.4, 2.5
COLUMBIA
COUNTY, LAKESIDE HIGH 24.9, 2.4
BARTOW
COUNTY, ADAIRSVILLE HIGH 21.3, 2.3
RICHMOND
COUNTY, AUGUSTUS R JOHNSON HEALTH 21.6, 2.2
BIBB
COUNTY, NORTHEAST COMPREHENSIVE HIGH 17.2, 2.1
BURKE
COUNTY, BURKE COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE HIGH 19.5, 2.1
BREMEN
CITY, BREMEN HIGH 20.4, 2
DALTON
CITY, DALTON HIGH 21.5, 2
JENKINS
COUNTY, JENKINS COUNTY HIGH 19.3, 2
PAULDING
COUNTY, PAULDING COUNTY HIGH 20, 2
BULLOCH
COUNTY, SOUTHEAST BULLOCH CO HIGH 21.6, 1.9
DEKALB
COUNTY, OPEN CAMPUS HIGH 17.8, 1.9
CHATHAM
COUNTY, SOL C JOHNSON HIGH 18.5, 1.9
BRYAN
COUNTY, BRYAN COUNTY HIGH 17.8, 1.8
EMANUEL
COUNTY, SWAINSBORO HIGH 18.6, 1.8
CHATHAM
COUNTY, SAVANNAH ARTS ACADEMY 24.1, 1.8
TERRELL
COUNTY, TERRELL MIDDLE-HIGH 17.5, 1.8
THOMAS
COUNTY, THOMAS COUNTY CENTRAL HIGH 20.9, 1.8
An
audio visual and distance learning technology solution provider, was recently
awarded an AV bid contract to integrate technology in Gwinnett County Public
SchoolsÕ (GCPS) elementary school classrooms. This project is part of the
school districtÕs three-part plan to provide classroom technology for students
and teachers.
According
to GCPS director of broadcast and distance learning, Greg LaHatte, this
technology project is funded by recent voter approval of a $750M General
Obligation (G.O.) Bond Referendum. ÒOur citizens value public education.
Through their vote, they have ensured that our students have the facilities and
tools they need to be successful.Ò
Under
this contract, SBCG will integrate Gwinnett elementary classrooms with
ceiling-mounted DLP projection systems, sound reinforcement technology, and
wall-mounted system controls which allow teachers to power up and down, adjust
volume, select equipment sources and automatically shut down the system at the
end of day. Plans are underway to kick off the integration program with more
than 1,000 classrooms in summer 2008. Completion of the 5,000+ classroom
integrations is slated for January 2010.
Mr.
LaHatte added, ÒSBCG was awarded the contract through the countyÕs RFP process
and based on an evaluation of their capabilities to meet the systemÕs needs. We
also appreciate that SBCG is based in Gwinnett County.Ó
Gwinnett
County Public Schools, located in the metro-Atlanta area, is the largest school
system in Georgia and continues to grow as the system is expected to welcome
about 4,000 new students for the 2008-09 school year. One of every five
Gwinnett County residents is a GCPS student. Gwinnett County citizens highly
value the important role education plays in building a thriving, diverse
community and strongly support the school systemÕs pursuit of excellence. The
finest teachers in the profession, involved parents, and a supportive community
are key elements in the school systemÕs quest to become a system of world-class
schools. For more information, please visit www.gwinnett.k12.ga.us.
Forsyth
County Schools, has chosen Xirrus for their district-wide Wi-Fi network,
servicing over 35,000 students, faculty, and staff district-wide. As the
largest employer in Forsyth County, the school district needed the highest
performing and most robust Wi-Fi network available today. The school district
tested numerous Wi-Fi products, and found Xirrus capable of delivering the
wireless performance and user density needed to meet their network demands.
ÒThese
guys get it! They planned for the success of Wi-Fi and solved the performance
and density problems by taking the switch out of the closet and putting it at
the edge of the network with the radios where it belongs,Ó said Bailey
Mitchell, both CTO and CIO at Forsyth County Schools. ÒWe did extensive testing
over the years and determined that Xirrus was the best fit for our extensive
educational enterprise. We will be able to provide our students, teachers, and
faculty high performance broadband wireless access throughout our
districtÑanytime, anywhere, anyplace with the same quality of service as a
wired networkÑenabling them to pursue new methods of teaching and communicating
without worrying if the infrastructure can handle it.Ó
ÒLet
me say it straightÑif you are thinking about putting Wi-Fi in a K-12
educational network you should have Xirrus on your short-list for evaluation,Ó
said Bailey.
ÒWe
put Xirrus through the paces for over a yearÑwe started with six schools,
analyzing the results in detail before selecting Xirrus for the entire
district,Ó said Mark Klingler, Director of Technical Services at Forsyth County
Schools. ÒWe considered the usual suspects, but no solution garnered our
attention like Xirrus with respect to how few devices were needed to complete
our wireless coverage needs. We are putting in the same number of radios
(4,000+) as other offerings, but doing it with only 500 Arrays instead of our
original estimation of 2000 access pointsÑXirrus saved the district over 1,500
cable pulls and will be easier to support.Ó
ÒOn
top of the resource savings, Xirrus performed active site surveys at all our
schools, took the time to sit with us and plan the implementation, and then
carefully executed the installation along side us at no additional charge. Many
vendors talk about partnerships, but Xirrus actually delivers on it. Xirrus
took the time to educate us,Ó Mark added.
Established
in 1860, Forsyth County Schools was one of the first free public school systems
in Georgia. The school district continues to expand at a rapid pace as more and
more families move in due to the school district's smaller class sizes and
personalized education for children. Currently, the Forsyth County Schools
serve over 31,000 students adding 2,000 new students each year. Technology is a
focal point for the schools: All teachers have a notebook computer for online
grading, reporting, and email. All computers within the Forsyth County schools
are networked and have a high-speed connection to the Internet. The student to
computer ratio is 2:1. Students produce live television broadcasts within their
schools and work with equipment such as scanners, handheld computing units, and
digital cameras. Additionally, parents can check their child's portfolios,
assignments, grades and discipline online. These systems, coupled with a wealth
of on-line learning software, serve to meet the needs of "today's"
students and prepare them for success in an ever-changing global society. For
more information, please visit www.forsyth.k12.ga.us