EDITORIAL: Great work, but there is a tsunami coming
Middle Georgia school systems are rightfully proud of the uptick in graduation rates for the 2015 school year in Middle Georgia. In Bibb, the needle moved to the positive 19.9 percentage points from 51.3 percent in 2011 to 71.2 percent in 2015. Crawford, Houston, Jones, Monroe, Peach and Twiggs also had increases over that time period.
The systems will further dissect the data in an effort to explain what worked to bring up those grad rates. Certainly, more focus has been applied to at-risk-of-not-graduating students. Some schools, like Westside High School in Bibb County, have Saturday school and longer school days.
While a lot of work takes place at the high school level, much work has to be done at the elementary and middle school levels before students ever see the inside of a high school classroom. When the graduation rate goes up, the entire system can take a bow. Now they have to get back to work, not just on the class of 2016, but on the class of 2024 — students who are in the fourth grade now.
The first Milestones test results were released, and one of the key components is how well a child is reading by the third grade. It is a crucial time. If a child cannot read by the third grade, the light of a bright future starts to dim. The Milestones tests use four definitions:
Beginning learners: do not yet demonstrate proficiency in the knowledge and skills necessary at grade level.
Developing learners: demonstrate partial proficiency in the knowledge and skills at grade level. The students need additional academic support in the next grade level.
Proficient learners: demonstrate proficiency in the knowledge and skills necessary at grade level.
Distinguished learners: demonstrate advanced proficiency in the knowledge and skills at grade level/course.
In Bibb County, 52.5 percent of the third-graders last year were beginning learners in reading and 28.3 percent were developing learners; Crawford County, beginning 41.5 percent, developing 35 percent; Monroe, beginning 23.7 percent, developing 30.5 percent; Jones, beginning, 29.2 percent, developing, 31.6 percent; Houston, beginning, 28 percent, developing, 30.8 percent; Twiggs, beginning, 62.1 percent, developing 29.2 percent; Peach, beginning 44.4 percent, developing 27.1 percent.
Granted, English/Language Arts is but one Milestones test, along with Math, Science and Social Studies.
The available data will help anyone drill down to the individual school level as well. In Bibb, there is a coming tsunami: Of the 26 elementary schools, 15 had 50 percent or more of its students as beginning learners in reading.
The Milestones scores were expected to be lower than the CRCT, but this is an additional clarion call from all the organizations involved in education initiatives to join the effort of educating the children of Middle Georgia. If we don't, we might not be so proud of the graduation rate of the class of 2024.
This story was originally published November 21, 2015 at 8:38 PM with the headline "EDITORIAL: Great work, but there is a tsunami coming ."