The Georgia Department of Education recently released the 2018 College and Career Readiness Performance Index, the state’s educational measuring stick. The 2018 CCRPI uses a calculation that is significantly different than past CCRPI calculations, as approved as part of Georgia’s state plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act.

According to the GaDOE, since the 2018 CCRPI is the first to use the new calculation 2018 scores are not comparable to any prior year and comparisons between the 2018 CCRPI with any other year are not possible or valid.

Although a comparison of CCRPI scores from previous years cannot be used to determine progress, schools within the Dougherty County School System showed significant progress in many of the four key competency areas (Content Mastery, Progress, Closing Gaps and Readiness). A fifth metric, Graduation Rates, exists for high schools.

“We’re continuing to pore through the data, and while we can’t compare year-to-year results because of the redesign of the CCRPI, I’m encouraged by the progress that I’m seeing, especially at the elementary level, which speaks to the emphasis we’ve placed on early childhood literacy and instruction,” Superintendent Kenneth Dyer said.

Dyer continued, “While encouraged, we’re not satisfied. We’ll continue to work to ensure that we are providing high-quality instruction in classrooms across the district while empowering our leaders with the resources and support they need to improve the educational outcomes for our students.”

Under the redesign for CCRPI, the state average was 77.8 for elementary schools, 76.2 for middle schools, and 75.3 for high schools. Using the new calculation, schools within the district have shuffled in their standings.