Did COVID learning loss hurt Georgia, Alabama test scores? Mixed answer in Columbus area
The latest state standardized tests in Georgia and Alabama show mixed results for Columbus area public school districts.
As it did the previous school year, Muscogee County surpassed the state average on one of the 27 Georgia Milestones tests during the 2021-22 school year: eighth graders who took high school physics.
Harris County surpassed the state average on 24 tests, an increase of three from last year. The only exceptions this year were in fifth grade math, seventh grade English language arts and seventh grade reading.
Chattahoochee County (ChattCo) showed the most improvement among local school districts. After not surpassing the state average on any test last year, ChattCo surpassed the state average on seven tests this year: fourth grade reading, fourth grade math, fifth grade English language arts, fifth grade reading, fifth grade science, seventh grade reading and American literature/composition reading.
Meanwhile, the Alabama State Department of Education has released its third grade reading scores from the spring 2022 Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program. The results show 78% of the state’s third graders reading at or above grade level. And the three Columbus area school districts in Alabama beat the state average: Phenix City 81.63%, Russell County 81.53% and Lee County 79.64%.
Based on the Alabama Literacy Act, which passed in 2019, students who haven’t made substantial progress toward proficiency in reading before the end of third grade may not be promoted to fourth grade, beginning in the fall of 2023.
The scores for the Alabama tests in other subjects and grades are expected to be released in September.
Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) deputy superintendent for assessment and accountability Allison Timberlake cautioned against comparing a school district’s Georgia Milestones scores this year to last year because participation rates (the percentage of enrolled students who took the tests) varied widely, and this year’s participation rates for each school district aren’t available yet. But the GaDOE expects this year’s participation rate to be more than 95% statewide, compared to last year’s rates ranging from 59-79%, she said.
The tests are designed to measure how well Georgia’s public school students learn the state’s curriculum in grades 3-8 and certain subjects in high school.
Here’s a roundup of what local school officials said about their results and what they mean:
Muscogee County
In the Muscogee County School District’s news release, superintendent David Lewis noted MCSD “continued to outperform our comparable peer Tier 2 districts in 80% of assessed areas.”
The Tier 2 districts are school systems serving cities similar in size and demographics to Columbus: Augusta (Richmond County), Macon (Bibb County) and Savannah (Chatham County).
“We will continue to analyze these results and use them to guide our individual student, school and district planning for the coming year,” Lewis said.
Harris County
In an emailed interview with the L-E, Harris County School District director of elementary curriculum and instruction David Dennie noted HCSD showed significant improvement compared to last year, with 15 subject areas increasing in percentage of students scoring in the “proficient” or “distinguished” category, meaning they performed at or above grade level.
“Nearly every school and every grade level from third grade to high school saw increases in the percentage of proficient students,” he said.
To counteract learning loss during the pandemic, HCSD used federal money to fund new positions for instructional coaches, Early Intervention Program teachers and Multi-Tiered System of Support coordinators at each school, plus the purchase of the FastBridge screening program to help diagnose students’ academic needs.
“The faculty and staff at each of the schools worked hard to quickly integrate the new positions and develop new processes to ensure that we identified every child who was struggling and worked to remediate them,” Dennie said. “They also ensured that students who were not struggling were challenged and accelerated in their learning.”
Other highlights from HCSD’s results, Dennie said, include third grade scoring at or better than pre-pandemic levels and double-digit growth in American literature, biology and U.S. history after scores dropped by at least 9 points in those three subjects last year.
Asked what concerns him most about HCSD’s results, Dennie said students entering fifth and eighth grades have had two straight years of lower performance.
To help these students, whose learning seems to have been disproportionately hindered by the pandemic, Dennie said, HCSD hired more employees dedicated to support them and the faculty and staff at their schools. HCSD also is exploring ways to educate students and parents about the importance of attendance, which has decreased during the pandemic, he said.
Chattahoochee County
In her report to the school board, ChattCo superintendent Kristie Brooks noted the district improved its percentage of students scoring “proficient” or “distinguished” (at or above grade level) on nine tests, and the total number of distinguished scores also increased.
The two lowest achievement levels on the Georgia Milestones tests are called “beginning” and “developing” learners.
“Beginning” learners need substantial academic support to reach the next grade and be on track for college and career readiness, according to the GaDOE, and “developing” learners demonstrate partial proficiency but still need some extra academic support.
ChattCo met or exceeded the state average in the percentage of students at least in the developing category on 10 out of 15 areas, Brooks said. ChattCo also outperformed the average percentage of proficient or distinguished learners in the region that includes Muscogee, Marion, Talbot, Stewart, Schley and Taylor counties in 11 areas, she said.
“As ChattCo prepares for the return to school, we will continue to focus on individual student growth across the content areas especially in reading and math,” Brooks said. “With a rigorous, consistent K-8 literacy program that includes multiple opportunities for student writing as well as a combination of more fluid, small group teaching based on individual areas of strength, students in Chattahoochee County Schools are poised for an excellent year.”
GEORGIA MILESTONES 2021-22 TEST SCORES
The numbers in each subject for Columbus area school districts in Muscogee, Harris and Chattahoochee counties, plus the state average, represent the percentage of tested students who scored in the “proficient” or “distinguished” achievement categories, meaning at or above grade level.
NOTE: Not every grade has a Georgia Milestones test in each subject. “N/A” means no average score was available from the GaDOE because not enough students (minimum of 15) took that test in that school district. The scores are ranked from higher to lower.
THIRD GRADE
Third grade English language arts
Harris 48.7
State 36.4
Muscogee 27.7
Chattahoochee 25.0
Third grade reading
Harris 78.8
State 63.8
Muscogee 54.8
Chattahoochee 53.1
Third grade math
Harris 56.2
State 43.0
Chattahoochee 28.1
Muscogee 27.6
FOURTH GRADE
Fourth grade English language arts
Harris 43.6
State 37.6
Chattahoochee 34.2
Muscogee 25.3
Fourth grade reading
Harris 65.4
Chattahoochee 60.5
State 56.3
Muscogee 46.1
Fourth grade math
Harris 50.9
Chattahoochee 47.4
State 43.9
Muscogee 26.8
FIFTH GRADE
Fifth grade English language arts
Chattahoochee 57.9
Harris 45.3
State 41.5
Muscogee 32.2
Fifth grade reading
Chattahoochee 81.6
Harris 72.3
State 69.7
Muscogee 65.2
Fifth grade math
State 36.9
Chattahoochee 36.8
Harris 36.3
Muscogee 21.7
Fifth grade science
Chattahoochee 52.6
Harris 49.4
State 39.2
Muscogee 29.4
SIXTH GRADE
Sixth grade English language arts
Harris 50.2
State 39.1
Chattahoochee 35.7
Muscogee 28.4
Sixth grade reading
Harris 62.1
State 55.1
Chattahoochee 54.3
Muscogee 45.3
Sixth grade math
Harris 52.4
State 31.1
Muscogee 16.9
Chattahoochee 15.9
SEVENTH GRADE
Seventh grade English language arts
State 35.5
Harris 26.4
Muscogee 26.0
Chattahoochee 24.2
Seventh grade reading
Chattahoochee 75.8
State 66.7
Harris 62.3
Muscogee 57.1
Seventh grade math
Harris 40.0
State 34.9
Chattahoochee 29.2
Muscogee 21.8
EIGHTH GRADE
Eighth grade English language arts
Harris 44.1
State 40.5
Muscogee 32.9
Chattahoochee 25.4
Eighth grade reading
Harris 70.4
State 70.2
Chattahoochee 67.7
Muscogee 63.3
Eighth grade math
Harris 41.0
State 36.2
Chattahoochee 32.9
Muscogee 25.8
Eighth grade science
Harris 51.0
State 28.9
Muscogee 22.1
Chattahoochee N/A
Eighth graders who took high school physics
Harris 79.7
Muscogee 66.1
State 53.4
Chattahoochee 11.4
Eighth grade social studies
Harris 43.5
State 37.4
Muscogee 26.0
Chattahoochee 15.9
HIGH SCHOOL
American literature and composition ELA
Harris 53.8
State 42.0
Muscogee 39.8
Chattahoochee 34.7
American literature and composition reading
Harris 78.7
Chattahoochee 72.9
State 69.1
Muscogee 66.4
Algebra I
Harris 54.0
State 37.4
Muscogee 22.6
Chattahoochee N/A
Biology
Harris 55.5
State 46.2
Muscogee 36.7
Chattahoochee 33.0
U.S. history
Harris 54.9
State 38.9
Chattahoochee 25.3
Muscogee 24.1
This story was originally published August 1, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
