The Georgia State Superintendent’s Office released the Georgia College and Career Ready Performance Index, CCRPI, scores for the 2013-2014 school year Tuesday.

The CCRPI measures schools and school districts performance on a 100-point scale. The CCRPI is the accountability system that replaces the No Child Left Behind and Adequate Yearly Progress measurement in Georgia.

The Newton County School System index score dropped by almost a point and half from last year’s score to 73.8. This is higher than the state’s score of 71.9, which also dip from last year’s score by nearly four points.

The CCRPI has been designed around a comprehensive definition of college and career readiness, or the level of achievement required in order for a student to enroll in two or four year colleges and universities and technical colleges without remediation and fully prepared for college level work and careers.

All three of Newton County’s high schools improved on their scores from last year, which raised the overall combined score of the high schools from 69.4 in 2013 to 74.6 in 2014. The state’s overall score was six points behind the county at 68.3, an almost four point decrease from last year’s score.

Eastside High School achieved the highest score, 83.8, out of the high schools. Alcovy and Newton High Schools were behind with scores of 73.5 and 72.2.

“We are pleased that our district CCRPI score outpaced the state,” said NCSS Superintendent Samantha Fuhrey in a press release. “We are also experiencing continuous improvement in our high school program. Our high school students, teachers, and leaders are to be commended for their focused work and commitment to increased rigor and expectations.”
Four of the county’s 14 elementary schools, East Newton, Flint Hill, Oak Hill and South Salem, improved on their scores from last year. Oak Hill’s score jumped highest, nearly nine points up to 81.

The county and state elementary school’s score were only a few decimals a part with the county having a score of 72.9 and the state’s being 72.6.

Veterans Memorial Middle School, the only middle school in the county to improve on their score form a year ago, saw a ten point spike from 66.6 to 76. Clements Middle School saw the biggest dropped of any school in the county as its score fell 15.2 points to 68.6.

Middle schools across the state collectively outperformed the middle schools in Newton by exactly one point, with the state’s score being 73.1.

“At a time when the state’s overall CCRPI scores decreased, several of our elementary schools and one middle school posted increases, and I applaud them for their hard work,” said Fuhrey.

Fuhrey took this time to recognize students and teachers that have been working in this changing landscape of performance testing.

“The CCRPI instrument has been a moving target as the state has changed the formulas and indicators each of the past three years. The instrument will be impacted again, this school year, by the new Georgia Milestones Assessment System and potential indicator revisions made this spring,” she said. “Despite our challenges, we remain committed to increased student achievement and more effective teaching.”