Once again Carrollton High School performed above the state average in the latest CCRPI ratings, released Thursday by the Georgia Department of Education.
CHS posted an overall score of 80.4, well above the state average of 75.7 for high schools.
The DOE released the College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) based on data from the 2015-16 school year. As a whole, the Carrollton City Schools district score of 71.8 is slightly below the state average of 73.6.
When reviewing the district’s other three school scores, it can be challenging to make a direct comparison to state scores because of how the schools are structured. The state’s grade breakdown classifies elementary schools as K-5, middle schools as 6-8, and high schools as 9-12. Carrollton Elementary is PK-3, Carrollton Middle is 4-6 and Carrollton Junior High is 7-8. For example, Carrollton Middle School gets two rankings – one as an elementary school and one as a middle school – resulting in a hybrid score.
When reviewing school results collectively, Carrollton Elementary’s official CCRPI score is listed as “N/A” on the DOE website because the grade configuration doesn’t allow enough data to be collected at the school level for an overall school ranking. Carrollton Middle School posted a school score of 71.3, just slightly below the state averages for both elementary (71.7) and middle schools (71.5), and Carrollton Junior High earned a score of 62.8 points.
Despite a dip in the district’s overall performance, intentional school improvement efforts are yielding student success in the areas of science and math. Across the district, an increase in math performance was noted as well as significant gains in physical science and biology scores at CHS.
Another bright spot noted is the CHS four-year graduation rate of 91.3, with double-digit improvement posted in the subgroups English Learners and Students with Disabilities.
“We maintain a steadfast commitment to school improvement, regardless of where we fall on the continuum,” said Dr. Mark Albertus, superintendent. “The data collected during the CCRPI process provides valuable information that helps us in these efforts. While our overall scores don’t reflect the dedication and hard work of our students and staff, we know real progress is being made in the classroom.”
The CCRPI is Georgia’s statewide accountability system, implemented in 2012 to replace No Child Left Behind’s Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) measurement, after the U.S. Department of Education granted Georgia’s waiver from NCLB. It measures schools and school districts on a 100-point scale based on multiple indicators of performance.
Statewide, a significant year-to-year decrease was seen in the elementary school score, mostly due to bonus point opportunities not being met for Economically Disadvantaged students, English Learners, and Students with Disabilities. Each year, schools can earn extra points if those student groups are meeting performance targets. From the 2015 to 2016 school year, annually increasing targets were not met for these elementary student groups, even though subgroup performance increased in math, science, and social studies.
“These results point to the need for continued intensive focus on the foundations in early grades,” state School Supt. Richard Woods said. “However, I don’t believe the CCRPI captures all the great work happening in our schools. We have seen improvements and, in some cases, record results on the ACT, SAT, and in graduation rates. Through the process of developing Georgia’s state plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act, we are evaluating what changes should be made to our accountability system to better measure the overall achievements of our schools.”