Writing assessment scores for Polk County’s third, fifth, eighth-grade and high school students all reported increases for the 2006 school year. However, results from Criterion-Referenced Competency Testing (CRCT) showed that there is room for improvement in the subject area of reading and English/language arts in third and fifth-grade classrooms.

Curriculum Director Laurie Atkins presented the county’s testing results last week during a meeting of the Polk County Board of Education.

Third-grade writing assessment pass rates showed a gain of 2.1 percent over last year’s scores, bringing 2006 results to a solid 67 percent. The county’s fifth-graders showed a substantial gain of 6.38 percent in pass rates, taking them from 49.75 in 2005 to 56.13 percent in 2006. Eighth-graders’ scores climbed from 88 percent last year to 89 percent this year.

For the county’s high school students taking the Georgia High School Writing Test, an increase of 5 percent was recorded, bringing their pass rate from 89 percent last year to 94 percent this year.

CRCT scores are not as clear-cut. Implementation of a new curriculum standard increased target achievement levels, Atkins explained, and gave students harder CRCT tests compared to last year’s.

For third and fifth-graders, the number of students meeting or exceeding test standards declined this year in the reading and English/language arts portion of the CRCT. In third grade reading, scores fell from 2005’s rate of 91 percent to 82.1 percent. In third-grade English/language arts, scores fell from 85 to 80 percent.

Scores for fifth-graders declined in reading from 84 percent in 2005 to 77.4 percent in 2006. English/language arts scores also fell from 80 to 78 percent this year.

Atkins said the dips in third and fifth-grade CRCT scoring were expected this year. “Those decreases are due to the implementation of a new curriculum called the Georgia Performance Standards. This is the first year our teachers have dealt with the new curriculum. It’s more rigorous and focuses the students on content areas more intensely.”

Atkins explained that last year, in order to pass, students had to score a 300. This year, with the Georgia Performance Standards, they had to score 800. “[Georgia’s Superintendent of Schools] Kathy Cox stated during press conferences that we shouldn’t even compare last year’s CRCT reading scores with this year’s, but the Polk School District has done that anyway, but just for motivation to improve next year.”

Atkins said the reading and English/language arts scores for 2006 will be used for benchmark purposes next year.

“We’ll use these scores and set achievement benchmarks for coming years that are reasonable, so we can continue to improve and challenge our students.”

The Georgia Performance Standards curriculum was not added to mathematics instruction this year. The CRCT pass rates for third, fifth and eighth-graders in mathematics this year showed several increases.

For third-grade, math scores rose from 89 to 94.2 percent; for fifth-grade, scores rose from 79 to 80.9 percent and for eighth-graders, scores climbed from 72 to 74.4 percent.

The school district saw impressive gains in the Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT).

The GHSGT, given to the county’s eleventh-graders, is a test that Atkins describes as a “high stakes test.”

Students must pass all portions of the test, including English/language, math, science and social studies, in order to receive a diploma. Students are given more than one chance to pass the test.

In all subject areas for first-time test-takers, the amount of students passing each subject increased over last year’s percentages.

In English/language arts, 96 percent of students passed, compared to last year’s 94 percent.

In math, 92 percent passed, an increase of 1 percent over 2005’s score.

In science, 74 percent passed, which translates into an 11-percent gain over last year.

In social studies, 82 percent of students passed, compared

to 80 percent of last year’s test takers.

“There’s a lot to be proud of here,” Atkins said. She also praised Rockmart High School for having 100 percent of their students pass each subject on their first attempt.