Cherokee Schools Exceeds State Averages On Georgia Milestones

CHEROKEE COUNTY, GA — Cherokee County students have exceeded state averages on the Georgia Milestones End-of-Grade and End-of-Course tests for the sixth consecutive year with expected decreases locally and statewide due to the pandemic’s impact on instruction.

The annual tests, which were not administered in 2020 due to the pandemic, assess students’ mastery of Georgia Performance Standards, which set expectations for what lessons students will learn in each grade. Results are used by teachers and administrators to improve instruction for specific students as well as develop new overall instructional best practices.

Students in grades three-eight take Milestones End-of-Grade exams every spring in select core subjects. High school students in specific courses, and eighth graders taking the classes for high school credit, take Milestones End-of-Course exams.

“These scores do not define us nor how hard our students, teachers and support staff worked last year to ensure students received the best education possible during the pandemic,” Superintendent Brian Hightower said. “These scores do support our expectation that we would need to focus this school year on bridging learning opportunity losses due to the pandemic through investing further in instruction. I’m deeply grateful for our school board’s support in hiring 125 teachers for this school year, above and beyond anticipated enrollment growth, to address this need, so we could take steps like lowering class sizes, adding more remediation services and making other changes focused on learning growth.”

Differing groups of students affect year-to-year change within a grade level, and the pandemic’s impact on learning is evident in lower scores than typically achieved in the district and statewide. Results measure students’ knowledge as beginning, developing, proficient or distinguished learners. The results include English language learners and students who receive special education services.

“Georgia Milestones was designed to measure instruction during a typical school year, and 2020-2021 was anything but,” State Superintendent Richard Woods said. “Given the impacts of the pandemic on all students, we expected some decreases this year. Georgia educators and students have worked extremely hard and these results do not reflect or diminish their efforts. With educators already working to get students back on track and the vast majority of school districts offering five days a week of in-person instruction this year, I’m confident students will receive the support they need to make up any lost ground.”

For third grade, the percentage of Cherokee County students achieving the highest two levels of scores - proficient to distinguished - was:

• 54.4 percent for math (38.4 percent for Georgia
• 45.9 percent for English language arts (36.1 percent for Georgia)

For fifth grade, the percentage of Cherokee students achieving proficient to distinguished scores was:

• 51.5 percent for math (34.7 percent for Georgia)
• 47.1 percent for English language arts (39.4 percent for Georgia)
• 45.9 percent for science (38.5 percent for Georgia)

For eighth grade, the percentage of Cherokee students achieving proficient to distinguished scores was:

• 50 percent for English language arts (41.4 percent for Georgia)
• 42.6 percent for math (31.8 percent for Georgia)
• 42.7 percent for science (34.6 percent for Georgia)
• 43.3 percent for social studies (34.7 percent for Georgia)

For high school credit courses, the percentage of Cherokee students achieving proficient to distinguished scores was:

• 41.1 percent for American literature and composition (29.8 percent for Georgia)
• 38 percent for algebra I (30.2 percent for Georgia)
• 54.6 percent for biology (40.7 percent for Georgia)
• 43.7 percent for U.S. history (29.6 percent for Georgia)

Note: Cherokee Charter Academy is not part of the Cherokee County School District, therefore those scores are not included in the district summary.