Academic growth: Fayette elem. kids mostly average

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Highest across-the-board growth achievements at Peeples Elem. School

While Fayette Schools always score high on achievement (in the high 80s to high 90s) in test scores, the same cannot always be said of the measure that shows academic growth over a three-year period.

Results for Fayette’s elementary schools in 2013, the most recent year available, published by the Ga. Dept. of Education (DOE) show largely mid-range growth compared to statewide data, as opposed to the customary high-level achievement Fayette students exhibit.

Of the county’s 16 elementary schools measured, only seven had a score of 66 or above in at least one of five measured areas, the point at which a school is considered “high growth.” Of those, only one school had two or more high growth scores — Peeples with three. The rest were mid-range. Peeples is in the Starr’s Mill school complex just south of Peachtree City.

Of the growth percentiles for the county’s elementary schools, the highest score was 76 in Social Studies in the former Tyrone Elementary School — now closed — while the lowest score was 34 in Social Studies at North Fayette Elementary School.

The chart on Page A8 is from the DOE website and shows data from a combination of all elementary school, by CRCT testing components, across all grade levels at each school.

Student Growth Percentiles (SGPs) describe the amount of growth a student has demonstrated, relative to other students across Georgia with the same achievement history, according to DOE.

Growth percentiles range from 1 to 99, with lower percentiles indicating lower academic growth and higher percentiles indicating higher academic growth. With SGPs, all students – regardless of their achievement level – have the opportunity to demonstrate all levels of growth, DOE said. 

DOE looked at the growth of Fayette County’s elementary schools based on the CRCT (Criterion Referenced Competency Tests) compared to elementary students and schools across the state.

Composite data by school is not available at this time. It is only available by CRCT test components.

By way of example, DOE spokesman Matt Cardoza said a score of 60 means the student did better than 59 percent of Georgia students while the remaining 40 percent “grew better.”

Cardoza said “low growth” falls into the 1-34 range, “typical growth” in the 35-65 range and “high growth” in the 66-99 range.

Though not accessible to the general public, parents can contact the individual school to obtain their child’s specific growth scores.