Math results down in Clayton
Fewer Clayton County students met or exceeded standards for math on a statewide exam, according to Georgia Department of Education data released Wednesday.
For example, only 75 percent of fifth-graders met or exceeded the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test in math, the data showed. By comparison, about 84 percent of fifth-graders met or exceeded the CRCT math standards during the 2012-13 school year.
Nearly one-third of Clayton’s eighth-graders did not meet the CRCT math standards, the data showed. During the prior school year, 26 percent of Clayton’s eighth-graders did not meet the CRCT math standards.
The tests were administered in April.
There was some good news in the Clayton results. More than 40 percent of eighth-graders exceeded the reading standards. During the prior school year, 32 percent of eighth-graders exceeded the reading standards.
State reading and math tests in grades 3, 5, and 8 are considered high-stakes because passing them is generally required for promotion to the next grade.
The CRCT, which will be replaced by a new standardized test next spring, is administered in grades three through eight in reading, English/language arts, math, science and social studies.
About the Author
Eric Stirgus joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2001. He is the newsroom's education editor. Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Eric is active in the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists and the Education Writers Association and enjoys mentoring aspiring journalists.
