The Georgia Department of Education has released the results of the Georgia Milestones Assessment from 2023-2024 and Polk School District is proud of the efforts of their teachers and students and of the gains that have been made in many areas. “These results are a testament to our commitment to providing a high quality education that meets the diverse needs of our students,” stated Superintendent Dr. Katie Thomas.
Due to the change in math standards for the 2023-2024 school year, and the subsequent change in the Georgia Milestones math assessments, scores for math will not be released until later this school year.
Polk School District has engaged in focused work to help students achieve individual growth in all subjects. “We have implemented innovative teaching strategies, invested in professional development for our educators, and fostered a supportive, personalized learning environment that encourages student engagement and achievement,” said Thomas. We are thrilled with the growth among most groups of students and the hard work of our staff. The growth in 5th, 7th, and high school literacy, are particularly meaningful and show the ongoing hard work and incredible effort of all faculty, staff, and students as growth is often more difficult due to the learning gaps that may occur as students age.
Among the highlights of this years’ test results are:
Increased growth in many cohorts. Cohorts are the groups of students measured as they move from one year to the next. Several groups grew by notable amounts:
5th Grade ELA content mastery grew from 48 to 59.5
5th Grade Literacy (as measured by Lexile Scores) grew from 51% to 65%
7th Grade Literacy grew from 49% to 56%
Grew by more than 20 points in US History from 41 to 69.
Grew by more than 10 points in American Literature from 42 to 52.5
Grew or held steady (no more than 2 point change) in students scoring in the proficient and distinguished categories on 11 of the 13 tested subjects. This is above the results seen across the state.
Current statewide and district focus on the implementation of literacy instruction based on the science of literacy holds great promise to increase growth in reading over the next few years. As the GADOE press release noted, 3rd graders who are first being tested this year, were in kindergarten during the critical Covid period. However, PSD saw gains in 3rd grade literacy scores this year, whereas the state saw a drop with this group, further emphasizing the critical work happening across all groups and grade levels. Superintendent Dr. Katie Thomas emphasized, “While we celebrate these accomplishments, we recognize that our work is not done. We remained focused on continuous improvement and are committed to ensuring that every student has the opportunity to succeed.”
Finally, Polk School District is pleased to continue to focus on the whole child with our wrap around services from birth through the FERST foundation efforts to deliver books to families with children under age five, to our two College and Career Academies offering more than 30 CTAE programs to prepare students for college and work. The theme for the 2024-2025 school year is “Whatever it Takes” and we will continue to work for growth in all areas.
About Georgia Milestones (from the GADOE)
Students take Georgia Milestones End of Grade (EOG) tests in grades 3-8, and Georgia Milestones End of Course (EOC) tests in identified high school courses. The Georgia Milestones Assessment System meets the federal requirement that states test students in math and ELA in grades 3-8 and once in high school, and in science once per grade band (3-5, 6-9, 10-12).
Georgia Milestones assesses student learning along four levels of achievement: Beginning Learners, Developing Learners, Proficient Learners, and Distinguished Learners.
See the link below for the GaDOE Press Release.