In 2024, more students in Colquitt County, from third to eighth grade, are doing better in reading and language arts than last year. There was a 5% increase in students scoring at the highest levels of Proficient and Distinguished on the Georgia Milestone English Language Arts test.
The percentage of third and fourth-grade students scoring at these high levels increased by 5% and 2%, respectively, compared to 2023.
Fifth graders showed even bigger improvements, with an 11% increase in students doing well as they moved to middle school. The sixth graders, who were in third grade in 2022, have improved their scores by 18% since then.
“Over the past three years, K-5 teachers have significantly enhanced their teaching skills by incorporating new resources, participating in professional development focused on the science of reading, and collaborating as teams to implement best practices in reading instruction. This dedicated effort, combined with ongoing monitoring of student progress, has led to significant gains,” stated Dr. Marni Kirkland, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction.
Sixth and eighth graders also scored better this year in reading skills. The sixth-grade scores increased by 5%, and eighth-graders improved by 8% as they entered high school this fall.
This growth in reading skills is due to improvements in many areas, such as understanding what they read (+13%), finding key ideas (+12%), language skills (+16%), vocabulary (+11%), and writing (+11%).
At the high school level, 10% more students scored at the top levels in the American Literature test compared to last year, showing they are improving their reading skills with increasingly complex texts.
The improvements in high school students also came from better scores in areas like understanding reading (+13%) and writing (+21%).
The Georgia Milestone test also gives a Reading Status score for each student. In 2024, 61.2% of third-grade students were reading on grade level or higher, a 1.2% increase. For fifth graders, 70% scored at or above grade level, with a 12% increase this year. Fourth-grade scores stayed the same. Although seventh grade saw a slight drop, sixth grade (+8%), eighth grade (+4%), and American Literature students (+9%) all showed improvements in reading.
In reflecting on the reading outcomes, Superintendent Dan Chappuis stated, “The 2024 results in English language arts are a testament to our teachers and leaders’ commitment to prioritizing reading as the essential building block of learning. As our students acquire new literacy skills, our teachers are also learning new strategies and exploring innovative practices.”