Submission Date: October 25, 2019

Release Date:  For Immediate Release

Contact: J.D. Hardin, 770-957-6601 ext. 161, john.hardin@henry.k12.ga.us

(Release # 011a-10-19)

 

Exceptional Growth Achieved on Latest CCRPI Scores

District's overall score improves 11.3 points; 22 schools above state average, up from just 5 in previous year 

HENRY COUNTY, GA – All three levels of schools in the district – elementary, middle, and high – scored above the state average on the recently released College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) as shared by the Georgia Department of Education on Friday, October 25.  This is the first time since the original release of CCRPI in 2012 that all three levels have been above the state average at the same time. 

"We could not be more pleased with our students and employees after receiving the latest CCRPI scores from the state,” said Board Chair Josh Hinton.  “The gains we are seeing on all the metrics shared from last year’s performance are impressive, and the scores shared today further prove we are on the right track to increasing our student achievement levels as a district.  It’s a great time to be a part of this system and something everyone in the county can be proud of.”

Overall, the district’s CCRPI score of 77.3 bested that of the state, which scored a 75.9.  When looking at each individual school level, the district earned a 79.8, 72.9, and 77.5 for elementary, middle, and high school, respectively.  As mentioned previously, all three levels for the district were above the state’s respective scores of 77.1, 72.1, and 77.0.

School and district leaders, utilizing the focus and support provided by the board of education, have been on a mission to become the fastest-improving and highest-achieving school system in metro-Atlanta while prioritizing student connectivity and belief in the capability of all children.  The latest results shared through the CCRPI are further evidence that all employees and students are working extremely hard to achieve the highest levels of student success.

The numbers reveal some of the largest single-year growth ever for many of our schools. Twenty-four schools overall accomplished double-digit composite score gains year to year.

Elementary Schools

In just the elementary school scores alone, there are 23 out of 28 schools that increased their results from the previous year in every single scoring area – Content Mastery, Progress, Closing Achievement Gaps, Readiness, and Overall Composite Score.  Of the increases in the composite scores, 16 of the increases were by double-digits.  Stockbridge Elementary led all schools, regardless of level, with a 31.1 point overall increase compared to the year before.  Additionally, three other elementary schools – Flippen, Luella, and Rock Spring – had improvements of 23 points or better.

In 2018, only two elementary schools in the district had a composite score above 75.  That number was increased sevenfold in 2019 with 14 elementary schools scoring above 75.  Ten of those 14 had scores above 80, and one elementary school – East Lake Elementary – earned the highest score of all schools in the district with a 91.3.

For former Stockbridge Elementary Principal Cynthia Jewel, now a Senior Director for the district, the turnaround was due to a major shift for her teachers and students. 

“We focused on building a school culture that relied on establishing a collective teacher efficacy, constant celebrations, and looking for key data to inform decisions,” shared Jewell.  “Once we established a culture of high expectations and a belief in all students, we moved to analyzing student data weekly to make adjustments as needed.”

One of the biggest areas for change at the elementary level was in the area of Closing Achievement Gaps.  This particular area measures the extent to which all students and all student subgroups are meeting annual achievement improvement targets, which are uniquely established for each school based on the school’s performance from the prior year.  There were no elementary schools in 2018 to score above the state in Closing Achievement Gap, but this year a whopping 19 schools bested state average of 73.8 and eight of those schools scored a perfect 100.

For Jewell, her school scored a top score in this component thanks to a laser focus on the students in the subgroups and utilizing tutorial sessions to make the maximum impact.

Middle Schools

There were eight out of 11 middle schools in Henry County Schools with increases to their overall composite score compared to last year.  Five schools – Henry County (now McDonough), Locust Grove, Luella, Stockbridge, and Woodland Middle – had double-digit increases.  Locust Grove Middle School had an incredible 25-point increase to their overall score this year, which coincides with their recent performance on the Georgia Milestones assessments.  Their large increase – the largest in the district – earned them a tie for top score of 80.0 with Woodland Middle School. 

Woodland Middle Principal Dr. Joycelyn Jackson shared that her school’s 16.2-point overall increase was the result of her school pulling together to support students.  Her school had its largest scoring-area increase in Progress, which accounts for how much students grow in their English language arts and mathematics knowledge compared to similar students across the state.

“We were able to empower our teachers through professional development opportunities from our district to analyze our subgroup data to identify students,” shared Jackson. “We used student assessment data from common assessments to measure against our state subgroup performance targets by content to keep track of all of our student’s performance by subgroup.  Additionally, we were intentional in allowing students to have ownership in the learning process by creating opportunities for them to monitor their own progress towards mastery of the Henry Teaching and Learning Standards.”

In all, nine schools increased their score in the area of Progress in 2019, and five of those schools scored above the state average after only one middle school in the district did so in 2018.

Four schools – Locust Grove, Ola, Union Grove, and Woodland - were able to surpass the state average for CCRPI in middle schools, while only two were able to achieve the same feat in the year prior.

High Schools

All 10 traditional high schools in Henry County improved their CCRPI scores in 2019.  Union Grove, with a score of 90.0 and the second-highest overall composite score of all schools in the district, led all high schools in the county. 

There were eight high schools to increase their scores in the areas of Content Mastery, Progress, Closing Achievement Gaps, and Readiness, providing direct correlation to all 10 high schools’ overall increases.  The state graduation rate was also exceeded by each traditional high school in HCS.

Luella High School Principal Jerry Smith knows that everything begins with a solid content foundation.  His school increased its score in the area of Content Mastery nearly six points, and he points back to the academic structures put in place to ensure that teachers knew what to teach and students knew what they needed to be learning.

“We focused on standards and used school-written benchmark exams every quarter to determine the student’s level of mastery, which then provided an understanding of what additional support needed to be offered to students in order to assure mastery of all the applicable standards,” noted Smith. “We also stressed student engagement in all classrooms.

“The clarity of expectations that were outlined in the Henry Teaching and Learning standards helped teachers to know exactly what was expected of students. The Henry Learning Progressions assisted teachers in maintaining a more deliberate pace throughout the year. Both these assisted teachers in preparing lessons and assessments.”

All 10 traditional high schools in the district had graduation rates higher than the state graduation rate.  The district average of 87.8 percent was 5.2 percentage points higher than the state graduation rate.

“The unity, stability, and focus of our Board of Education to provide a clear direction for our school district has made a world of difference as seen in the latest data,” said Superintendent Mary Elizabeth Davis.  “These student performance results are possible thanks to the board’s investment in employees and belief in students.  They made sure to show their commitment to both groups by way of pay raises for employees and providing new resources for students to enhance their learning experience.  We still have work to do, but results like these help guide us into the next phase of increased student achievement.”

The double-digit increases by nearly half of the district’s schools goes to show that exceptional outcomes are possible when exceptional is the expectation.

“We will celebrate these achievements and use them as reminders of what is possible thanks to a board of education that believes in our employees and students who make this the best place to teach and learn,” added Davis.

For more information on Henry County Schools, visit www.henry.k12.ga.us.

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Attachment: Charts of CCRPI Scores for all schools, levels.

 

Total CCRPI scores are broken down into four major components for elementary and middle schools, while high school scores are based on five measurable components.   The following information describes each focus area:

• Content Mastery (30% for all school levels): Area focuses on measuring achievement in English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies through the Georgia Milestones assessment.
• Progress (35% for elementary/middle; 30% for high): Area focuses on how much students grow in their English language arts and mathematics knowledge compared to similar students across the state.
• Closing Achievement Gaps (15% for elementary/middle; 10% for high): Area focuses on measuring the extent to which all students and all student subgroups are meeting annual achievement improvement targets.
• Readiness (20% for elementary/middle; 15% for high): Area focuses on literacy, student attendance, and learning beyond core subjects for elementary and middle schools.  In high school, it also focuses on literacy and student attendance, while also including a focus on accelerated enrollment, pathway completion and demonstration of college and career readiness through multiple opportunities.
• Graduation Rate (15% - high schools only): Takes into account both four- and five-year adjusted cohort graduation rates.

 

Detailed information about the CCRPI is available from the Georgia Department of Education (http://ccrpi.gadoe.org).  The information shared includes full reports for all districts and schools in the state.

 

 

Submission Date: October 25, 2019

Release Date: For Immediate Release

Contact: J.D. Hardin, 770-957-6601 ext. 161, john.hardin@henry.k12.ga.us

(Release # 011b-10-19)

CCRPI Numbers Reveal HCS Students Achieved More in 2019

Data bear out incredible year of growth for students; 11.3-point improvement overall for HCS

HENRY COUNTY, GA – The latest College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) results for Henry County Schools reveal an exceptional year of growth for students in all corners of the county. In total, 41 schools showed marked improvement overall on the latest data shared by the Georgia Department of Education.

Overall, the district’s CCRPI score of 77.3 – an 11.3-point improvement – bested that of the state, which scored a 75.9. When looking at each individual school level, the district earned a 79.8, 72.9, and 77.5 for elementary, middle, and high school, respectively. As mentioned previously, all three levels for the district were above the state’s respective scores of 77.1, 72.1, and 77.0.

The CCRPI is Georgia’s tool for measuring school improvement and accountability that conveys to all interested parties the college and career readiness for all public school students in the state.

Total CCRPI composite scores are broken down into four major components for elementary and middle schools, while high school scores are based on five measurable components. Each scoring component is scored on a 100-point scale as is the composite score. The following information describes each component:

• Content Mastery (30% for all school levels): Area focuses on measuring achievement in English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies through the Georgia Milestones
• Progress (35% for elementary/middle; 30% for high): Area focuses on how much students grow in their English language arts and mathematics knowledge compared to similar students across the
• Closing Achievement Gaps (15% for elementary/middle; 10% for high): Area focuses on measuring the extent to which all students and all student subgroups are meeting annual achievement improvement
• Readiness (20% for elementary/middle; 15% for high): Area focuses on literacy, student attendance, and learning beyond core subjects for elementary and middle schools. In high school, it also focuses on literacy and student attendance, while also including a focus on accelerated enrollment, pathway completion and demonstration of college and career readiness through multiple
• Graduation Rate (15% - high schools only): Takes into account both four- and five-year adjusted cohort graduation

Here is a breakdown of district performance by the numbers:

Elementary Schools (28 Eligible)

Key Highlights:

• 23 schools increased their overall composite score, with 16 being double-digit There were 14 above the state average compared to only one in 2018.
• 24 schools increased their Content Mastery score; five were above state average compared with only three in 2018.
• 23 schools increased their Progress score; 17 were above state average compared with only four in
• 23 schools increased their Closing Achievement Gaps score; 19 were above the state average compared with none in 2018. Eight schools scored a perfect 100.
• 26 schools increased their Readiness score.
• Average composite increase for elementary schools was 14.0.
• District increased elementary composite by 15.6 points while state average declined by 0.8 points. District elementary composite average is 2.7 points higher than the state.
• East Lake Elementary had the highest composite score with a 91.3.
• 10 schools scored over 80.0 compared to only one in 2018.
• 14 schools scored over 75.0 compared to only two in 2018.

Middle Schools (11 eligible)

Key Highlights:

• Eight schools increased their overall composite score, with five being double-digit increases. There were four above the state average compared to only two in 2018.
• 11 schools increased their Content Mastery score; two were above state average as was the case in 2018.
• Nine schools increased their Progress score; five were above state average compared with only one in 2018. 
• Eight schools increased their Closing Achievement Gaps score; nine were above the state average compared with none in 2018.
• Six schools increased their Readiness score; six were above the state average compared with five in 2018. 
• Average composite increase for middle schools was 14.1.
• District increased middle composite by 8.6 points while state average declined by 4.1 points. District middle composite average is 0.8 points higher than the state.
• Locust Grove and Woodland Middle School tied for the highest composite score with an 80.0.
• Two schools scored over 80.0 compared to none in 2018.
• Four schools scored over 75.0 compared to two in 2018.

High Schools (10 eligible)

Key Highlights:

• 10 schools increased their overall composite score, with three being double-digit increases. There were four above the state average compared to only two in 2018. 
• 10 schools increased their Content Mastery score; two were above state average as was the case in 2018. 
• Eight schools increased their Progress score; seven were above state average compared with only two in 2018.
• Nine schools increased their Closing Achievement Gaps score; six were above the state average compared with none in 2018. Two schools scored a perfect 100.
• Nine schools increased their Readiness score; three were above the state average as was the case in 2018. 
• Five schools increased their Graduation Rate; 10 were above state average as was the case in 2018.
• Average composite increase for high schools was 7.0.
• District increased high composite by 7.9 points while state composite increased by 1.8 points. District middle composite average is 0.5 points higher than the state.
• Union Grove High School had the highest composite score with a 90.0.
• Three schools scored over 80.0 compared to one in 2018.
• Five schools scored over 75.0 compared to two in 2018.

For more information on Henry County Schools, visit www.henry.k12.ga.us.

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Attachment: Charts of CCRPI Scores for all schools, levels.

 

Detailed information about the CCRPI is available from the Georgia Department of Education (http://ccrpi.gadoe.org). The information shared includes full reports for all districts and schools in the state.