Sixty to over 70 percent of Fayette’s students are scoring at “proficient or above” on the standardized assessments given through the Georgia Milestones Assessment System, according to 2017 scores released by the Georgia Department of Education.
This is a jump in improvement from last year when just over 60 percent of students were performing “proficient or above,” meaning students are considered on track to being college and career ready. The percentage of students performing at this level increased for 18 of the 24 tests given last year with the highest gains in third grade math, fourth grade English language arts, fourth grade math, eighth grade science, ninth grade literature and composition, American literature and composition, and physical science.
Double-digit increases occurred in fourth grade English language arts (11 percent increase), ninth grade literature and composition (12.8 percent increase), and physical science (25.1 percent increase).
Across the board, scores were among the top 20 in the state (this includes county and city systems much smaller than Fayette), and mostly second among the metro-Atlanta public school systems. Test scores tracked well above those of the state, ranging from 17 to 26 percentage points higher.
Students began taking Georgia Milestones assessments in 2014-2015. The testing system is one comprehensive program across grades three through 12, which includes open-ended questions to better gauge students’ content mastery.
