Georgia state test scores released. There’s good and bad news for Columbus area school districts
Columbus area school districts have some good news and bad news on the latest scores from the state’s standardized tests.
In the 2020-21 Georgia Milestones Assessment System, Harris County surpassed the state average on 21 of the 26 grade-level subjects and courses. The only exceptions were third-grade math, fifth-grade math, sixth-grade English language arts, seventh-grade ELA and biology.
Muscogee County surpassed that benchmark on one test (physical science) and Chattahoochee County on none.
The tests are designed to measure how well Georgia’s public school students learn the state’s curriculum.
The Georgia Department of Education canceled these tests in the spring of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so education officials caution against comparing the 2021 results to 2019.
In fact, the GaDOE told school districts they shouldn’t require students taking online-only classes to come into the school building solely to take the state tests. So the percentage of enrolled students taking these tests varied greatly statewide, from a high of 79% in third grade to a low of 55% in high school, according to the GaDOE data.
In Muscogee County, the overall participation rate on the tests was 55%.
“These results are reflective of the many varied situations experienced by students and teachers during the pandemic and are therefore not valid for purposes of accountability or school and district comparisons,” Muscogee County School District superintendent David Lewis said in a news release. “However, they do provide one additional data point which, along with other district-administered formative and screening assessment results, will help to inform instruction going forward in addressing identified individual student academic, social and emotional needs.”
Dave Dennie, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction in the Harris County School District, told the L-E the pandemic has made it difficult to interpret the scores.
“There were so many variables that were different from student instruction to the students that took the assessment,” he said in an email. “In general, in reviewing the scores it appears the scores were less impacted at higher grade levels. In our district, third grade saw the greatest negative impact on scores. Overall, we saw some positives and we saw some areas in which we need to work.”
Satisfying him most about the results, Dennie mentioned the following:
- The writing scores in grades 3-8 improved or remained the same as the last time the tests were administered, in the 2018-19 school year.
- The fourth-grade scores far outperformed the state.
- Except for third grade, HCSD remained above the state average in most areas.
“I truly believe we have the best teaching workforce in the state of Georgia,” he said. “Our results reflect our teachers and the hard work they put in day in and day out.”
Asked what disappoints him the most about the results, Dennie said, “It’s more surprising than disappointing. What surprised us most about the scores was our third-grade results as they were so different from the rest of our scores in other grade levels.”
In response to that surprise, Dennie said, “We have worked with school administrators and teachers to determine the root cause of the scores. We have been working to implement a new screening program to ensure we know the skills that students enter the classroom with each year. By having this information, we will be better prepared to differentiate instruction for each student.”
Chattahoochee County School District superintendent Kristie Brooks warned against the significance of these scores.
“Given the disruption to learning that has occurred since March 13, 2020, the most recent Milestones scores do not provide as reliable data of data on student learning and academic growth,” Brooks told the Ledger-Enquirer in an email.
Nonetheless, Brooks noted the majority of ChattCo’s fifth-graders and sixth-graders who tested received reading scores that were at or above grade level..
Similar to MCSD, ChattCo also enhanced its summer school program to help students recover the learning loss from the pandemic. ChattCo used some of its federal CARES Act funding to adopt a “valid, evidence-based reading program so that reading instruction is consistently provided to every child in every classroom,” Brooks said.
“I am beyond grateful that we have the team we do,” she said. “Because of them, our students experienced success last year and will continue to make academic progress this year.”
The GaDOE said in a news release that, compared to the last Georgia Milestones administered in 2018-2019, statewide performance decreased slightly, by an average of 6 points in grades 3-8, and a range of 4-15 points in high school. There was a 1-point increase in physical science, but this test was administered to only eighth-graders, whereas in previous years it was administered to all students in middle and high school.
Here’s how local school districts performed on the tests compared to the state average scores:
GEORGIA MILESTONES 2020-21 TEST SCORES
Numbers in each subject for Columbus area school districts in Muscogee, Harris, Chattahoochee counties, plus the state average, are the passing rate, meaning the percentage of tested students who scored at or above grade level, also called proficient learner or distinguished learner.
Note: Not every grade has a Georgia Milestones test in each subject.
THIRD GRADE
Percentage of enrolled students tested
- Chattahoochee 93
- Harris 91
- State 79
- Muscogee 77
Reading
- Harris 69.1
- State 61.6
- Muscogee 51.8
- Chattahoochee 40
English language arts
- Harris 38.8
- State 36.1
- Muscogee 28
- Chattahoochee 25
Math
- State 38.4
- Harris 31.7
- Chattahoochee 25
- Muscogee 23.9
FOURTH GRADE
Percentage of enrolled students tested
- Chattahoochee 92
- Harris 90
- State 78
- Muscogee 72
Reading
- Harris 70.9
- State 58.7
- Muscogee 52.8
- Chattahoochee 50
English language arts
- Harris 48
- State 36.7
- Chattahoochee 26.5
- Muscogee 26.3
Math
- Harris 52.4
- State 43
- Muscogee 25.2
- Chattahoochee 23.5
FIFTH GRADE
Percentage of enrolled students tested
- Harris 86
- Chattahoochee 80
- State 77
- Muscogee 71
Reading
- Harris 72.3
- State 68.1
- Chattahoochee 67.5
- Muscogee 62
English language arts
- Harris 45.5
- State 39.4
- Muscogee 29.9
- Chattahoochee 22.5
Math
- State 34.7
- Harris 31.1
- Chattahoochee 20
- Muscogee 19.8
Science
- Harris 47.3
- State 38.5
- Chattahoochee 37.5
- Muscogee 29.8
SIXTH GRADE
Percentage of enrolled students tested
- Chattahoochee 95
- Harris 89
- State 69
- Muscogee 58
Reading
- Harris 59.6
- State 58.3
- Chattahoochee 51.9
- Muscogee 46.9
English language arts
- State 41.9
- Harris 39.5
- Muscogee 30.5
- Chattahoochee 29.6
Math
- Harris 46.4
- State 30.4
- Chattahoochee 16.7
- Muscogee 15.3
SEVENTH GRADE
Percentage of enrolled students tested
- Chattahoochee 80
- Harris 79
- State 65
- Muscogee 52
Reading
- Harris 74.6
- State 66.6
- Muscogee 55.2
- Chattahoochee 55.1
English language arts
- State 39.3
- Harris 38.9
- Muscogee 29.7
- Chattahoochee 24.5
Math
- Harris 39.5
- State 36.3
- Muscogee 21.6
- Chattahoochee 16.3
EIGHTH GRADE
Percentage of enrolled students tested
- Harris 73
- Chattahoochee 71
- State 61
- Muscogee 47
Reading
- Harris 78.5
- State 67.8
- Chattahoochee 66.7
- Muscogee 57.5
English language arts
- Harris 51.8
- State 41.4
- Muscogee 33.5
- Chattahoochee 27.5
Math
- Harris 46.8
- State 31.8
- Muscogee 19.9
- Chattahoochee 7.8
Science
- Harris 55.2
- State 34.6
- Muscogee 24
- Chattahoochee 11.8
Social studies
- Harris 42.2
- State 34.7
- Muscogee 25.7
- Chattahoochee 11.8
HIGH SCHOOL
AMERICAN LITERATURE & COMPOSITION
Percentage of enrolled students tested
- Harris 97
- State 58
- Chattahoochee 57
- Muscogee 36
Passing rate
- Harris 42.9
- State 29.8
- Muscogee 23
- Chattahoochee 8.6
ALGEBRA I
Percentage of enrolled students tested
- Chattahoochee 71
- Harris 63
- State 60
- Muscogee 48
Passing rate
- Harris 65.2
- State 30.2
- Muscogee 18.4
- Chattahoochee 10
BIOLOGY
Percentage of enrolled students tested
- Harris 95
- Chattahoochee 59
- State 59
- Muscogee 44
Passing rate
- State 40.7
- Harris 40.1
- Muscogee 34.3
- Chattahoochee 26.8
PHYSICAL SCIENCE
Percentage of enrolled students tested
- Harris 100
- State 62
- Muscogee 54
- Chattahoochee NA
Passing rate
- Harris 78.8
- Muscogee 55.3
- State 52.8
- Chattahoochee NA
U.S. HISTORY
Percentage of enrolled students tested
- Harris 84
- State 55
- Chattahoochee 50
- Muscogee 31
Passing rate
- Harris 36.3
- State 29.6
- Chattahoochee 34.6
- Muscogee 16.2
This story was originally published August 16, 2021 at 2:47 PM.
