Whit Davis Elementary School has been recognized by the Georgia Department of Education for its exceptional progress in student achievement over the last year. 

Whit Davis was included in a list of 52 CSI (Comprehensive Support and Improvement) Progress Schools across the state released last week by GaDOE. CSI is one of three designations the state uses to identify schools that are in need of additional support related to student achievement, as required under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act. Those designations are based on schools’ College and Career Readiness Performance Index (CCRPI) scores, Georgia’s statewide accountability system for K-12 public schools. 

In 2023, Georgia transitioned to a three-year identification process for CSI schools, and this year the state began annually recognizing and celebrating CSI schools that make progress on their improvement plans and performance. To be eligible for the CSI Progress School list, schools had to show a 5% increase in the CCRPI Content Mastery component score from 2022-23 to 2023-24 and have a score of 80 or higher on at least one of the other three components:

• Progress, which addresses how much growth students are demonstrating relative to academically similar students.

• Closing Gaps, which sets the expectation that all students and student subgroups continue to make improvements and sustain high levels of achievement once a certain threshold is attained.

• Readiness, which measures whether students are participating in activities preparing them for and demonstrating readiness for the next grade level, college, or career. The indicators for elementary schools include literacy, student attendance, and “Beyond the Core” (subject areas outside of English language arts, math, science, and social studies) participation. 

During the 2023-24 school year, Whit Davis had a nearly 12-point increase in its overall Content Mastery score from 36.5 to 48.3 – including significant Content Mastery gains in English language arts (9.1 points), math (12.6), and science (17.6). The school also had a Closing Gaps score of 100 to make it eligible for the Progress Schools list and saw increases in its Progress (up 22.9 points to 76.7) and Readiness (up 2.3 points to 73.5) scores. 

Whit Davis was placed on the CSI list due to its ELA and Readiness scores and has made exceptional progress with the help of structured collaborative planning between the school, District Office, and the state. 

“I applaud the tremendous progress made by the students at Whit Davis Elementary,” said Dr. Jennifer Scott, Deputy Superintendent of Academics and Students Support. “Their recognition as a CSI Progress School reflects the staff and leadership’s hard word, resilience, and commitment to growth. This improvement demonstrates what is possible when all stakeholders remain dedicated to student success.”