Heritage Middle shines in performance scores
Scores for Georgia’s 2017-18 College and Career Ready Performance Index were released in October.
CCRPI measures how students are doing in a number of areas:
Content mastery: “Are students achieving at the level necessary to be prepared for the next grade, college, and career?’
Progress: “How much growth are students demonstrating relative to academically-similar students?”
Closing gaps: “Are all students and all student subgroups making improvements in achievement rates?”
Readiness: “Are students participating in activities that prepare them for and demonstrate readiness for the next level, college, and career?”
The shining star among Catoosa County schools was Heritage Middle School, with an overall score of 93. The state average for middle schools was 76.2. Ringgold Middle School scored a little above the average at 78.7 and Lakeview Middle School scored a little under at 74.6.
The range of scores for elementary and primary schools ran from 57.6 at West Side Elementary to 82.7 at Boynton Elementary. The state average for elementary schools was 77.8. In between, the scores ran: Ringgold Primary: 80.9, Battlefield Primary: 79.9, Graysville Elementary: 78, Ringgold Elementary: 75.5, Woodstation Elementary: 75.4, Battlefield Elementary: 74.7, Cloud Springs Elementary: 69.7, Tiger Creek Elementary: 58.1.
In the two lowest-scoring elementary schools, individual category scores expand upon the big picture. While West Side scored overall well below the state average, the school scored 70.3 in the “progress” category and 74.6 in the “readiness” category, though only 49.3 in “content mastery.”
Tiger Creek scored 61.8 in “progress,” 80.6 in “readiness” and 58.9 in “content mastery.”
The “closing gaps” scores for West Side (21.9) and Tiger Creek (17.9) contributed considerably to bringing down the schools’ overall scores.
High schools had graduation rates factored into their scores, along with the other categories. Two high schools scored above the state average of 75.3 — Ringgold High with 82.1 (graduation rate: 90.7) and Heritage High with 80.4 (graduation rate: 91). Lakeview-fort Oglethorpe
High scored 69.7 (graduation rate: 82.1). Lakeview-fort Oglethorpe scored highest in the “progress” category with a 90.5 and lowest in “closing gaps” with an 18.8. Ringgold High scored 91.7 in “closing gaps.” Heritage High had fairly even scores across the categories, their highest score — 83.6 — in “progress.”
Catoosa County Schools Assistant Superintendent Kim Nichols says the school district began investigating which professional practices have the greatest impact on students’ achievement in the fall of 2016. “Plans to implement these practices were embedded into the school district’s strategic plan,” she says. “Many of these practices are those being used by Heritage Middle, so we are excited about potential results for the future.”
Nichols says “school leaders began extensive professional learning during the 2017-1018 school year which focused on the Professional Learning Communities framework.
“We will continue to strengthen our understanding and implementation of these practices across the district,” says Nichols.
GDOE suggests that if parents are concerned about their children’s schools, they get in touch with the schools and talk about ways to get involved. “There is no shortage of opportunities, both small and large, to get involved and make a difference,” says GDOE.
To learn more about CCRPI, visit gadoe.org/ Ccrpi/pages/default. Aspx.