Goal 12: Ensure that all students, without consideration to race, income, age or community, gain the knowledge and life skills required to succeed in the global economy and society.
GOAL 12: Ensure that all students, without consideration to race, income, age or community, gain the knowledge and life skills required to succeed in the global economy and society.
INDICATOR: Regional variations in CRCT scores by school system, race or ethnicity
Why is this important?
CRCT scores measure how well students have learned basic knowledge and skills described in Georgia's Quality Core Curriculum. All students in grades K-8 are required to take the CRCTs in reading, English/language arts and mathematics. Students in grade 3-8 are also assessed in science and social studies.
How are we doing?
The percent of minorities enrolled in public schools in the Atlanta region has increased since steadily since 2003. As of the 2005-2006 school year, more than half of the region's 14 public school systems are 50 percent minority schools with Cobb County and Decatur City schools at 49 percent minority. Rockdale and Douglas counties saw the most growth (11 percent) in minority enrollment between 2004 and 2006. Minority enrollment in Decatur City Schools has actually decreased by 4 percent since 2004.
While the number of minorities enrolled in public schools across the region has steadily increased since 2002 so has the percentage of students who met or exceeded CRCT standards. This leads us to believe that there is no correlation between the two variables.
However, as the statistics showed last year, the four school systems with the highest percentage of minority students (Clayton, DeKalb counties and the cities of Atlanta and Marietta) also had the lowest percentage of students meeting or exceeding the CRCT standards. Passing percentages among these four school systems range from 72 percent in the Clayton County to 79 percent in the City of Marietta.
Educational Excellence
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