By Kathryn Schiliro
Managing Editor

Morgan County outperformed the state in every subject and grade level on the latest administration of the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCTs).

"We outperformed the state in all areas with students meeting and exceeding standards," Assistant Superintendent Debra White said.
The CRCTs test students in grades three through eight in Reading, English-Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies subject areas. More than 200 Morgan County students were tested in each grade level on each CRCT subject area.

On the Reading CRCT, 96.7 percent of Morgan's third grade students met or exceeded standards, compared to last year's 97 percent; 95.2 percent of the county's fourth graders met or exceeded standards, compared to last year's 93 percent; 96.9  percent of the county's fifth graders met or exceeded standards, compared to last year's 97 percent; 98.6 percent of the county's sixth graders met or exceeded standards, compared to last year's 97 percent; 95.3 percent of the county's seventh graders met or exceeded standards, compared to last year's 96 percent; and 99.2 percent of the county's eighth graders met or exceeded standards, compared to last year's 100 percent.

On the English-Language Arts CRCT, 98.3 percent of Morgan's third grade students met or exceeded standards, compared to last year's 99 percent; 97.8 percent of the county's fourth graders met or exceeded standards, compared to last year's 93 percent; 100 of the county's fifth graders met or exceeded standards, compared to last year's 99 percent; 97.8 percent of the county's sixth graders met or exceeded standards, compared to last year's 95 percent; 95.3 percent of the county's seventh graders met or exceeded standards, compared to last year's 97 percent; and 98.4 percent of the county's eighth graders met or exceeded standards, compared to last year's 97 percent.

On the Math CRCT, 87.6 percent of Morgan's third grade students met or exceeded standards, compared to last year's 92 percent; 83.9 percent of the county's fourth graders met or exceeded standards, compared to last year's 83 percent; 96.4  percent of the county's fifth graders met or exceeded standards, compared to last year's 97 percent; 83.8 percent of the county's sixth graders met or exceeded standards, compared to last year's 79 percent; 94.8 percent of the county's seventh graders met or exceeded standards, compared to last year's 95 percent; and 85.8 percent of the county's eighth graders met or exceeded standards, compared to last year's 81 percent.

On the Science CRCT, 91.2 percent of Morgan's third grade students met or exceeded standards, compared to last year's 91 percent; 89.1 percent of the county's fourth graders met or exceeded standards, compared to last year's 88 percent; 91.3 of the county's fifth graders met or exceeded standards, compared to last year's 91 percent; 79.1 percent of the county's sixth graders met or exceeded standards, compared to last year's 76 percent; 88.2 percent of the county's seventh graders met or exceeded standards, compared to last year's 91 percent; and 84.6 percent of the county's eighth graders met or exceeded standards, compared to last year's 78 percent.

On the Social Studies CRCT, 94 percent of Morgan's third grade students met or exceeded standards, compared to last year's 95 percent; 91.2 percent of the county's fourth graders met or exceeded standards, compared to last year's 88 percent; 95.6 percent of the county's fifth graders met or exceeded standards, compared to last year's 94 percent; 80 percent of the county's sixth graders met or exceeded standards, compared to last year's 82 percent; 86.3 percent of the county's seventh graders met or exceeded standards, compared to last year's 91 percent; and 89 percent of the county's eighth graders met or exceeded standards, compared to last year's 90 percent.
Superintendent Dr. Ralph Bennett credits this year's scores to the work of the county's teachers not only in teaching, but also in how they assessed and applied last year's results to professional learning and what they do in the classroom.

"I think the good performance of students is a testament to the work of teachers," Bennett said.
As for the future of the CRCT, the tests will still be taken, but Georgia's move to the College and Career Readiness Performance Index (CCRPI), the state's replacement for the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) measure, means a difference in how CRCT results are used. Schools and systems will be evaluated using more than just CRCT results; instead, CRCT results and the results from a norm-referenced, free response-type assessment will be used as just one aspect of evaluation. The latter is still being developed.

White will present a detailed report of CRCT results to the county Board of Education at their meeting on July 9.

Printed in the July 5, 2012 edition