Friday, May 28, 2004

Winning score for latest test results Ninety-three percent of Coweta County third-graders passed the third grade reading portion of the Criterion Reference Competency Test, according to test results sent to Coweta schools Monday. Starting this year, passage of the exam is required for promotion of third-grade students to the fourth grade. Third-grade report cards were withheld last week, pending arrival of the test scores. The cards have been mailed to parents. The 110 third-grade students who did not meet expectations on the exam will be given an opportunity for additional reading classes at this year’s Summer Focus program, held at five elementary schools across the county. There is no tuition required and transportation is available for the classes, which will be held June 7-23. A retest of the third-grade CRCT reading exam will be given June 24 (and a June 25 make-up) following the classes. A letter notifying parents of the classes was sent Monday. For elementary teachers, principals and administrators, news of the high passage rate was welcome way to end to the school year. “We are delighted with the passage rate,” said Assistant Superintendent Pat Hodge. “Because of the projections that the state had been making, we anticipated a lower passage rate. But we are thrilled.” The state of Georgia had advised schools to anticipate that 20 percent of third graders might not meet expectations on the reading exam, Hodge said. Coweta County not only had a higher passage rate than the state expectation, the students’ performance on the exam improved over 2003 Coweta County CRCT scores. “That sort of success demonstrates hard work and commitment on the part of our teachers, and the seriousness given to the test by third grade students,” said Hodge. Hodge also said that she anticipates the summer programs will help students who did not meet expectations to achieve promotion to fourth grade. “From looking at the scores of the students who did not meet expectations, they were very close, and we anticipate the Summer Focus program will give them that specific boost that they need to pass the test,” she said. “Three hundred was the cut score, and many student who did not meet expectations made 296, 297 - very close to the score. Plus, with the majority of the students who did not meet expectations, we are aware of some of the interferences they have in their learning, and we have been working on that all year.” Parents will be notified if their child needs Summer Focus classes. The June 7 through June 23 classes will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for students (teachers will be on duty from 8 a.m. to noon). The classes will be offered at five sites, including Arbor Springs, Atkinson, Newnan Crossing, Eastside and Ruth Hill.

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