Criterion-Referenced have been released for local schools, and the county superintendent said he is “tickled” with some of the results.

“The pattern has continued to be positive for Carroll County,” Carroll County Schools Superintendent Scott Cowart said.

The county schools have improved their scores from last year in 23 of the 30 year and subject categories. The seven decreases occurred in all subjects except science, which is frequently cited as many schools’ problem area.

“We are really happy with the scores we got in subjects like social studies and science,” Cowart said. “We continue to be very strong in reading and language arts, as well as in middle school math.”

A message from the director of communications for the Georgia Department of Education said specific school results should be released no later than July 12.

The biggest shift in scores, which do not yet factor in retests, was an 8.6 uptick in eighth-grade science — in 2011, 67.6 percent of students met or exceeded expectations; in 2012, 76.2 percent met or exceeded expectations.

The scores from 2011 were also an improvement over 2010 for the school system.

One conclusion drawn from the results is that Carroll County students are performing better than the state averages — until they get to sixth grade.

According to the results, students in third and fourth grades beat the state average in every subject. In fifth grade, students beat the Georgia average in three of the five subjects.

However, Carroll County students in sixth and seventh grades did not do as well as the state averages in all five subjects. Eighth-grade students underperformed the state in four of the five subjects.

Cowart said this performance was part of a historical trend in the system.

“If you look back at the past four or five years, they have had farther to go historically,” he said. “And they may not be above the state, but they have improved from the last couple of years, and we have to keep moving in that direction.”

Cowart stressed the importance that these were systemwide scores, taken from students at a total of 18 schools.

“These are numbers for about a 14,000-student school system,” he said. “We have 12 elementary schools and six middle schools where these tests were given. Those are different buildings and instructors and different delivery of instruction.”

Cowart said all credit was due to the teachers, who were in their profession at a “very difficult time.”

“They have so much to deal with,” he said. “They have to deal with a changing curriculum, increased accountability on the state level and the difficult economic time we’re in, with furlough days and decreased resources.”

The test results are critical in determining a school’s Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). The test is given to students in third-eighth grades and addresses five subjects: reading, language arts, math, science and social studies.

“We’re extremely excited about these results,” Cowart said.



The percentages of students who met or exceeded standards on the CRCT in the Carroll County system, and the state averages, are:

• THIRD GRADE

Reading: State - 90.6; Carroll - 92.6

Language arts: State - 90.51; Carroll - 93

Math: State - 80.97; Carroll - 84.6

Science: State - 78.14; Carroll - 85.9

Social Studies: State - 81.04; Carroll - 88.9

• FOURTH GRADE

Reading: State - 90.16; Carroll - 93.0

Language arts: State - 90.88; Carroll - 92.2

Math: State - 80.21; Carroll - 82.7

Science: State - 80.81; Carroll - 85.2

Social studies: State - 78.4; Carroll - 84.9

• FIFTH GRADE

Reading: State - 91.49; Carroll - 93.2

Language arts: State - 94.38; Carroll - 94.3

Math: State - 83.68; Carroll - 82.9

Science: State - 77.96; Carroll - 83.7

Social studies: State - 76.61; Carroll - 81.3

• SIXTH GRADE

Reading: State - 95.97; Carroll - 95.9

Language arts: State - 92.13; Carroll - 90.3

Math: State - 79.94; 75.0

Science: State - 72.56; Carroll - 67.8

Social studies: State - 73.0; Carroll - 64.6

• SEVENTH GRADE

Reading: State - 93.99; Carroll - 91.7

Language arts: State - 93.34; Carroll - 90.4

Math: State - 91.0; Carroll - 86.8

Science: State - 84.57; Carroll - 80.9

Social studies: State - 77.74; Carroll - 75.7

• EIGHTH GRADE

Reading: State - 95.91; Carroll - 94.3

Language arts: State - 95.22; Carroll - 93.6

Math: State - 76.65; Carroll - 69.8

Science: State - 73.52; Carroll - 76.2

Social studies: State - 76.88; Carroll - 74.3