Georgia Milestones test scores for the 2021-22 school year were released last week for schools across the state, and the Clarke County School District saw gains in both participation rates and student achievement. While the data shows room for growth and improvement, it is important to note the test results from last year should be interpreted in context due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our students and teachers have worked hard this past school year to recover from the impact of learning loss during the last two years,” said Dr. Xernona Thomas, CCSD Superintendent. “I commend them for their commitment to continued improvement and academic gains. As a school district, we will continue our focus on strong grade-level instruction and providing each student with the resources needed to become proficient in all content areas.” Overall, almost 95% of CCSD students in grades 3-8 participated in Georgia Milestones testing during the 2021-2022 school year, up from 65% participation in the 2020-2021 school year.

Milestones tests were not administered during the 2019-20 school year due to the pandemic. More than 80% of high school students participated in Georgia Milestones testing during the 2021-2022 school year, a significant increase from just 10% participation in 2020-21. In addition to gains in participation rates, Clarke County also realized gains in a number of achievement areas. Scores in English Language Arts showed that 26% of CCSD students in grades 3-8 were proficient or above in 2022, which reflects a 6-point increase over 2021. In Math, 27% of CCSD students in grades 3-8 were proficient or above, which is an 11-point increase over 2021. In Science, 23% of CCSD students in grades 5 and 8 were proficient or above, a 4-point increase over 2021. In Social Studies, 29% of CCSD students in grade 8 were proficient or above, which is a 15-point increase over 2021. A full breakdown of Georgia Milestones data for CCSD can be found in the table below, which also includes high school data.