Students in the Columbia County School District are showing proficiencies surpassing state and regional academic averages, according to the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE).
During the Columbia County Board of Education’s regular meeting, Tuesday evening, associate superintendent Kristsen Caroll with the district’s Division of School Improvement presented the board with findings for Columbia County in the Georgia Milestones, GaDOE’s comprehensive assessment program for 3rd through 12th graders.
Carroll showed data regarding district students’ performance in English, math, social studies and science, including comparisons between Columbia County schools’ achievement and the state and regional averages for both developing learners and proficient learners.
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She also presented results comparing the performance of Columbia County’s most proficient learners in these subjects among 1,000 students who had tested “proficient or above.”
The results were broadly in favor of Columbia County. In the American Literature and Composition end of course assessment, some 50% of the district’s students tested proficient or above, compared to 41% for the whole state. The respective stats for Algebra were 55% and 45%.
Responding to a question by board member Katie Allen about whether particular district policies led to the schools’ achievement stats, superintendent Steven Flynt noted that factors span from district administration down to individual classes.
“I think there’s an importance at the board level. There’s an importance of the district level. We know the highest level of student achievement gains happens in the classroom, said Flynt. “ We know that, so we’re going to help focus in the classroom. So don’t discount that (the) principal has a very big impact, and the district office, as well as the board attention to that has an impact.”
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The board also voted to officially close former location of North Columbia Elementary School at 2874 Ray Owens Road, removing it from the roster of Georgia schools. The new iteration of the school had its first day on Aug. 4, and the district will hold a ribbon-cutting for the new facility on Aug. 19.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
