The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) today released the 2022-23 Georgia Milestones test scores for the Clarke County School District (CCSD) 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 (EOG) tests in grades 3-8 and End of Course (EOC) 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 (RESA) 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.