‘Not everyone gets one.’ 9 Macon schools earn state honor for academic growth

A Macon middle school identified among Georgia’s lowest-performing campuses posted one of the largest math gains in the state during the 2024-2025 school year, according to State Superintendent Richard Woods.

Peter G. Appling Middle School, a designated Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) school, recorded a 35.5-point increase in math on the 2024-25 Georgia Milestones assessment — what Woods called “one of the highest scores” the state has seen.

CSI schools are identified every three years and include the lowest-performing 5% of Title I schools statewide, based on their three-year College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) average. The designation means the schools require additional support.

Woods visited Appling Middle School Monday to recognize the nine Bibb County schools named Literacy and Math Leaders for exceptional achievement or growth in reading and math on state assessments. While several campuses earned honorary banners, he singled out Appling’s jump as an example of dramatic progress.

“These banners represent, for me, I’ve always considered them to be the academic state championship banners for our schools,” Woods said, noting that only about 400 schools statewide received a designation in each category. “Not everyone gets one.”

Bibb County Schools trails statewide averages on the Georgia Milestones assessment, though the district posted modest gains last year. The recent Literacy and Math Leader honors highlight progress at individual schools, even as broader challenges in reading and overall student performance remain.

Sixteen percent of Appling’s eighth graders scored at or above the proficient level — meaning they met or exceeded grade-level expectations — on the spring 2025 end-of-grade math assessment, up from 8% in spring 2024, according to the Georgia Department of Education’s Milestones dashboard.

Math scores for sixth graders also improved, with 8.2% scoring at or above the proficient level, up from 2.4% in spring 2024.

In a Facebook post shared Nov. 10, 2025, the school cited “math team, instructional coaches, and community partners for making growth happen every day through standards-aligned instruction, CFAs, data talks, and targeted support.”

Macon school leaders said the “exceptional student progress” reflects a commitment to continued academic growth.

“We are proud of our students, principals, teachers and staff whose commitment to strong instruction made this recognition possible,” said, Tamara Candis, associate superintendent of schools for the district in a written statement. “Through our PUSH initiative — Aligned Efforts, Rigorous Approaches and Committed Delivery — we will continue building on this momentum to ensure every student succeeds.”

Ballard-Hudson Middle School, classified as a Tier IV campus in 2022, also showed measurable progress, posting a 20.3-point increase on the high school-level math portion of the test and receiving a banner, Woods said.

During Woods’ visit to the district, Appling Middle sixth grader Christina Taylor called the designations “a symbol of progress, perseverance and excellence” that reflects “the hard work of students, the dedication of teachers, the support of families and the leadership of district and state partners.”

The Georgia Department of Education began annually recognizing Literacy Leaders in 2023 and added Math Leaders in 2024. Woods said the state’s long-term goal is proficiency, defined as a 90% passage rate in literacy and math.

Literacy Leaders

Four Bibb County Schools were recognized as Literacy Leaders for outstanding student performance and growth in reading. Woods described the literacy banner as “the hardest to get” in the state.

• Alexander II Magnet School, 3rd Grade Gateway Growth Award: 6.5 point increase.
• Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School, 3rd grade Gateway Growth Award: 13.9-point increase.
• Springdale Elementary School, 3rd Grade Gateway Growth Award: 12-point increase.
• VIP Academy, High School Growth Award: 20.8-point increase.

Math Leaders

Four Bibb County Schools were recognized as Math Leaders for outstanding student performance and growth in math.

• Burdell-Hunt Elementary School, 5th Grade Gateway Growth Award: 16.5-point increase.
• Howard Middle School, High School Growth Award: 24-point increase on eighth-grade portion of the test.
• Miller Magnet Middle School, 8th Grade Gateway Growth and High School Growth awards: 22.9-point increase on eighth-grade portion of the test; 23-point increase on high school portion.
• VIP Academy, High School Growth Award: 15.8-point increase.

This story was originally published March 5, 2026 at 12:01 PM.