Tests of students’ mastery of the state of Georgia curriculum show that Coweta students have continued to improve their performance over the last several years, and that the Coweta school system consistently outperforms the state.

The Criterion Reference Competency Test (CRCT) is based on the state of Georgia’s basic curriculum, covering the areas of reading, language arts and math in grade one through eight, and science and social studies in grades three through eight (36 subject areas and grades in all). The test is administered in the spring at all schools.

Overall scores returned by the Georgia Department of Education show the Coweta County School System outscoring the state average in 31 of 36 areas, scoring the same in three areas, and scoring slightly lower than the state in two areas. CRCT mean scores and pass rates have shown overall improvement since the 2002 administration of the test (see chart).

School-by-school scores on the CRCT are available at the state Department of Education’s website at www.gadoe.org. Individual student’s CRCT results are available at the child’s school. During summer months, parents should call ahead if they wish to pick them up, or they can pick them up when the new school year begins on August 6.

“I’m very pleased with our student’s performance and the improvement our schools have shown,” said Superintendent Blake Bass. “Our goal is to continuous improvement, and that is what we see in these results.”

“I think we’re extremely pleased with the progress the schools are making,” said Testing and School Improvement Director Connie Davis. “Our test scores are competitive with and exceed the state in many areas, and our schools are addressing areas of concern over time.”

While CRCT performance overall is strong across the school system, Davis noted that the real usefulness of the tests is helping parents and teachers evaluate the performance of individual students. “The test is a measure of how student’s perform on one day out of the year, but it is a good measure for teachers to get an idea of how well a student is doing and if a student is having some difficulty in mastering a content area or skill.”

Mean scores reported for the 2007 administration of the CRCT are based on two different scales, depending on whether the subject tested is based on the state’s older Quality Core Curriculum (QCC – graded on a scale of above or below 300) or the new Georgia Performance Standards (GPS – graded on a scale above or below 800).

Implementation of the GPS began during the 2005-2006 school year in reading and English (all grades), science (grades 6, 7 and 9-12) and mathematics (grade 6). This most recent school year, GPS implementation continued in mathematics (grade K-2 and 7) and science (grades 3-5). As the GPS is implemented, new tests are built around the more rigorous curriculum, and then new cut scores are set.

Scores that are at or above 350 on a QCC-based CRCT, or at or above 850 on GPS-based CRCT, indicate a level of performance that “Exceeds the Standard” set for the test. Scores from 300–349 for QCC-based CRCT, or from 800–849 for GPS-based CRCT, indicate a level of performance that “Meets the Standard” set for the test.