CARROLLTON, GA – Carrollton Elementary School’s outstanding performance on state testing that measured academic improvement last school year has earned CES a top ranking among Georgia schools that serve economically disadvantaged students.

Named a 2019-2020 Title I Reward School, CES ranks in the top 5 percent of Title I Schoolwide schools in Georgia that posted the greatest improvement of sustained academic performance among economically disadvantaged students, students with disabilities, and English learners.

Title 1 is a federal program that provides supplemental funds to school districts to assist schools that have students who face these educational barriers.

CES Principal Kylie Carroll said the Georgia Department of Education honor validates the hard work her teachers and staff have put forth to achieve the academic results that put CES in this top performance tier.

“We are so proud of the progress at CES and know that our intentionality in planning and instruction is benefitting all students,” said Carroll. “We’re committed to providing the best for our Tiny Trojans, and we are confident that continued hard work will result in continued success. We are honored to be recognized as a Reward School and consider ourselves privileged to serve within such a strong district and community.”

In October, the state released results on the College and Career Ready Performance Index, a standardized testing system that measures school improvement among Georgia schools. The report showed CES improved its overall score by 22 percent for the 2018-2019 school year, posting a score of 83.5 that outperformed the state score of 75.9. CES topped the state in all individual rating categories, which include content mastery, progress, closing gaps, and readiness.

A highlight of the report was the school’s 68 percent improvement in closing the gap between all-student performance compared to eight student subgroups measured in the report. This put CES’s score 26 percentage points over the state average of 73.8, pushing the total past the 100 percent mark because of significant improvement over target expectations. Three subgroups –  economically disadvantaged, English learners, and students with disabilities – doubled the target improvement expectation of 3 percent in English/language arts. Two did the same in math: English learners and economically disadvantaged. These performances solidified CES in achieving the Title I Reward School designation.

The “closing the gap” category is an important measure by helping schools and districts be mindful of the performance of students as individuals when they plan their school improvement efforts, said Anna Clifton, assistant superintendent of Teaching and Learning for Carrollton City Schools.

“We value our diverse population and consider it a strength of ours,” she said. “It is gratifying to see the performance levels of all of our subgroups making these strides in overall improvement, especially at such a high level. Our school leaders and teachers are committed to supporting our children’s academic success. These results are a direct reflection of their efforts.”

Dr. Mark Albertus, superintendent, expressed appreciation for the intentional efforts throughout the district to raise the bar of performance systemwide.

“All of our schools continue to make significant gains in student performance across the spectrum,” said Albertus. “They have successfully demonstrated the philosophy that both can be accomplished – providing support for those most in need while further challenging advanced students to achieve at an even higher level.”

State School Supt. Richard Woods commended the schools on the Title I Reward Schools list for their commitment to ensuring a quality education for all students.

“While we are focused on continuous improvement for all schools, it’s also essential that we recognize when schools are doing well,” said Woods. “These schools are overcoming barriers, meeting challenges, and producing great gains for their students. I commend the school leaders, teachers, parents and communities who are opening up opportunities for their students.”