Oconee Co Schools rank high in Ga Milestones, Clarke Co struggles

The state Department of Education says Oconee County schools ranked first, second, or third in the state in 11 of 18 categories in the Georgia Milestones, End of Grade, and End of Course test assessment results for the 2022-23 school year. The news comes as Oconee County prepares for Wednesday’s first day of the new school year. From the Oconee Co Schools website…

Oconee County Schools ranked first, second, or third in the state in 11 of 18 categories in Georgia Milestones, End of Grade, and End of Course Assessment results for 2022-23 released by the Georgia Department of Education on Friday.

Oconee County also stood No. 4 in four areas and Nos. 5, 6, and 8 in the remaining three categories.

“Oconee County Schools has a strong commitment to student success and development, and these scores are reflective of the high standard of excellence on display on our campuses each day,” Superintendent Jason L. Branch said. “This recognition confirms the hard work being put in by our students, the dedication of our teachers and leadership, and the support received from parents. As we start the new year, we are excited to watch our students continue to amaze us with their accomplishments.”

Georgia law requires a comprehensive summative assessment program in grades 3-12, including End of Grade assessments in English/Language Arts and Mathematics for grades 3-8 and End of Course assessments in designated core subjects for grades 9-12.

Oconee County boasted the No. 1 ranking in seventh-grade English/Language Arts End of Grade Test, eighth-grade Social Studies End of Grade Test, and U.S. History End of Grade Test.

Oconee County held the No. 2 spot in fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade English/Language Arts End of Grade Test, Algebra I End of Course Test, and American Literature End of Course Test.

Oconee County stood third in third-grade English/Language Arts and Mathematics End of Grade Tests and fourth-grade Mathematics End of Grade Test.

The top-10 state results below are based on Oconee County’s ranking among all Georgia systems. Some systems did not have enough test-takers to be representative of the total population based on prior achievement.

No. 1

Grade 7 ELA

Grade 8 Social Studies

U.S. History

No. 2

Grade 4 ELA

Grade 5 ELA

Grade 6 ELA

Algebra I

American Literature

No. 3

Grade 3 ELA

Grade 3 Math

Grade 4 Math

No. 4

Grade 5 Math

Grade 5 Science

Grade 7 Math

Grade 8 Math

No. 5

Grade 8 ELA

No. 6

Grade 6 Math

No. 8

Biology

From the Clarke Co School District website…

The Georgia Department of Education today released the 2022-23 Georgia Milestones test scores for the Clarke County School District and the state.

The results show that — like many of their peers in the northeast Georgia region, throughout the state, and across the country — Clarke County students are not making enough progress to regain academic achievement losses from the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, CCSD students scored 10 or more points below statewide averages on most tests, and just over 50% of students in grades 3-8 were reading at or above grade level.

Since Dr. Robbie Hooker began his tenure as CCSD superintendent in October 2022, he and his leadership team have been focused on fostering a more rigorous and equitable learning environment across all schools where teachers, staff, and students are supported with all of the resources they need so that students are able to reach their full potential.

“We have spent the last 10 months gearing up for the 2023-24 school year. During that time, we have done a hard reset on our approach to reading and have trained our school leaders as well as 800 district teachers in a more balanced, ‘science of reading’ approach,” said Dr. Hooker. “This work, along with our focus on staffing our classrooms with teachers who have high expectations for all students and are deeply committed to providing strong instruction, deep engagement, and grade-appropriate assignments to every child in every classroom, will give us the tools we need to move the needle on student outcomes going forward.”

Students take Georgia Milestones End of Grade tests in grades 3-8 and End of Course tests in identified high school courses. The Georgia Milestones assessment system meets the federal requirement that states test students in math and English Language Arts in grades 3-8 and once in high school, as well as in science once per grade band (3-5, 6-8, 9-12). The Georgia Milestones are the primary factor in determining the state’s College and Career Readiness Performance Index (CCRPI) score. The state will release its CCRPI results in late fall 2023.

Milestones Highlights for CCSD

High school math results were among the most positive in CCSD for 2022-23. Among high school students who took the Algebra I test, 32% scored “Proficient or Above,” which was an increase from 28% the previous school year and narrowed the achievement gap between CCSD and the state average and Northeast Georgia Regional Educational Service Agency averages. In addition, 88% of middle school students who took the high school Algebra I test scored “Proficient or Above.” CCSD also saw a 3-point increase on the high school Biology EOC test and a 3-point increase in third-grade reading proficiency (from 36% to 39%), mirroring a 2-point increase at the state level.

Full Milestones results for CCSD and the state are available here.

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