The new state standardized test results are out for the 2017-18 school year, and in Clayton County the school that highest percentage of students moving into the proficient or higher category was Roberta T. Smith Elementary School.
Last year, 16.4 percent of its students were reading at a proficient level. This year, it is 31.6 percent, an improvement of 92.7 percent.
Students at 13 of Clayton’s 34 elementary schools lost ground between 2017 and 2018, and rest showed improvement.
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All of the elementary schools in Clayton were struggling to more more than a third of their third graders reading at a proficient or better rate.
The school with the higher number of students at that level was Lake City Elementary, with 34.9 percent attaining the goal.
Students who don’t master reading by third grade will likely struggle in later years, when they will need to be able to read well in order to learn other subjects.
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The Georgia Department of Education divides test performance into four tiers. The best performers are “distinguished,” followed by “proficient.” They are ready for the next grade.
“Developing” and “beginning” learners, however, will need help, with the beginners in the worst spot. They will require “substantial” support to get on track.
In addition to English in third grade, mastery of math by eighth grade is considered essential, since it’s a foundation for the more complex concepts in high school.
The highest scoring Clayton school in that category was M.D. Roberts Middle, where 31.3 percent were proficient or above. Those students are in good position for the next four years, but, as with English with the younger kids, Clayton has numerous schools that performing poorly with math. At the remaining 14 middle schools, four out of five or fewer eighth graders scored developing or worse.
Newsroom Data Specialists Jacquelyn Elias and Jennifer Peebles contributed to this article.
Third grade English Language Arts — the five Clayton schools that showed the highest percentage of improvement of students moving into proficient or better between 2017 and 2018.
Tara Elementary - 65.3% improvement
Unidos Dual Language Elementary - 63.7%
Pointe South Elementary - 38%
Haynie Elementary - 35.5%
East Clayton Elementary 29.6%
Eighth grade math — the five Clayton schools that showed the highest percentage of improvement of students moving into proficient or better on the Milestones math test
Forest Park Middle School - 170.7%
Mundy’s Mill Middle School 116.1%
Kendrick Middle School - 100%
Rex Mill Middle School - 28.8%
Sequoyah Middle School - 21.4%
GEORGIA MILESTONES: 2018 METRO ATLANTA RESULTS
Visit our 3rd grade reading searchable database
Visit our 8th grade math searchable database
The AJC is updating The Ultimate Atlanta School Guide to bring you the latest information on school safety ratings, student demographics and more. Research schools in your community and across the state at schools.myajc.com.
What are Georgia Milestones Tests? Watch this video:
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