About 50,000 Atlanta Public Schools students began the fall semester Wednesday, greeted with hugs from teachers and administrators who recognize there is much work to do to improve the district’s overall academic performance.
Atlanta students passed state Georgia Milestones tests at rates below the state and, for most subjects, at among the lowest rates in the metro area, according to results released last week. Graduation rates, though, have improved in Atlanta the last two school years by nearly 13 percentage points, according to state data.
Superintendent Meria Carstarphen said in an interview Wednesday during a visit to Garden Hills Elementary School that the district must do more to lift student performance, particularly in math and reading. She hopes to see improvement through efforts such as implementing programs such as International Baccalaureate in each high school cluster.
“I feel ready,” Carstarphen said about the new school year. “I’m excited.”
Atlanta is one of several metro Atlanta school districts including Marietta that returned to class Wednesday.
Garden Hills students said they were eager to return to school. Cara Kraus, 10, a fourth-grader, recently moved to Atlanta with her family from Florida. Cara wanted to know more about afterschool programs and the school itself.
“I’m excited,” she said. “I can’t wait to go to my first class.”
About the Author
