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Published Thursday, July 09, 2009 in Local

Special

Coweta CRCT scores above state's

By News Staff

The Times-Herald

Coweta Schools Superintendent Blake Bass is pleased with tentative results on the Criterion Referenced Competency Tests -- which show the system exceeding the state average and sharp increases in math and science achievement.

The Georgia Department of Education released results this week from the tests, which are given to all students in grades 1-8 in Georgia. In some grades, students are tested only in reading, language arts and math. In others, they also take tests on science and social studies.

The percentage of Coweta seventh-graders meeting or exceeding state standards in mathematics was 83.7, and for sixth-graders 74.9 -- exactly the same percentages shown in statewide results. In all other areas for all grades except eighth-grade social studies, the percentage of Coweta students meeting or exceeding the standard was greater than the percentage for the state.

Bass was particularly pleased with increased achievement in subgroups when compared to last year. "Our emphasis this year was on math," Bass said.

He noted that the percentage of black students at Ruth Hill meeting or exceeding expectations in math increased 20.6 percent from last year. "That is very significant," Bass stated. At Western, black students showing adequate achievement in math increased 11.6 percent, and the percentage of students with disabilities posting adequate math scores rose 8.1 percent at East Coweta Middle School.

The scores rose even as new curriculum brought additional topics for students and new ways of teaching for classroom teachers.

Bass noted the system has added Lynn Skinner as math content specialist and Donald White as science content specialist. Both were experienced high school teachers when they began working with schools and the system -- at a time when the state started rolling out its new Georgia Performance Standards curriculum.

Having the math and science specialists "really helped us in the two areas where we needed help," Bass said. He said Skinner and White have been instrumental -- "working with the school on the Georgia Performance Standards."

Bass echoed comments by State Schools Superintendent Kathy Cox when he said he believes CRCT scores will get even better as "our teachers become more and more familiar with the Georgia Performance Standards."

Last month, when overall results for the state were first released, Cox said the improved scores showed "our teachers are getting more comfortable with our standards-based curriculum and... our students are benefiting from the rigor and focus of the Georgia Performance Standards."

"As students progress with the Performance Standards from year-to-year, their scores are going to increase," Bass predicted. He also talked about the rigor of the new GPS and said Georgia now ranks fifth among states with the most rigorous curriculum.

"With our students and our teachers becoming more familiar with what they're learning and how to teach it, the test scores are going to become better over time," Bass said.

Dr. Peggy Guebert, the school system's new director of testing and school improvement, spent much of Wednesday examining the scores. She said Coweta's students did well, not only in comparison to overall state totals but to results for school systems of similar size and demographics.

CRCT scores in grades 3-5 are used in determining Adequate Yearly Progress under the federal No Child Left Behind Act for elementary schools in Georgia. The state's middle schools are ranked for AYP using the CRCT scores in grades 6-8. AYP rankings can also examine scores within certain groups such as gender, racial categories or students who are served by special education or have a primary language other than English.

Dr. Steve Barker, the Coweta system's administrative services director, said AYP results for Coweta could be released as early as next week. Bass emphasized that the CRCT numbers released by the state are still being tweaked. One corrected error could change the AYP status for a school or even a system.

The state's results are available at www.doe.k12.ga.us/pea_communications.aspx?ViewMode=1&obj=1822 -- follow the links at the end of the state release "CRCT Scores Increase in All Areas." The data is listed by grade level -- with Coweta's schools grouped together in each grade.

There were instances where 100 percent of students met a particular standard in a school. For example, 100 percent of Thomas Crossroads' first-graders met the reading and language standards, and 100 percent of Willis Road's second- graders met the math standard.

In all grades, there were some schools that had a lower percentage of students to meet or exceed the state standard in one or more subject areas than the state average. In some cases, the scores for those schools were less than a tenth of a percentage point below the state average.

The lowest elementary school rate was 47.6 percent of Jefferson Parkway's fourth-graders who met or exceeded standards in social studies. The lowest middle school posting was Evans Middle's eighth graders -- with 49.6 percent meeting or exceeding standards in social studies.

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