Cobb Schools Score Higher Than 2013 State Averages For College and Career Readiness

Scores for Cobb County Schools on the 2013 College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) topped average scores for Georgia schools at all three levels – elementary, middle and high. The Georgia Department of Education on Monday released the second year of ratings under the statewide accountability system, which measures on a 100-point scale the academic achievement and progress of individual schools and their school systems. The state revised several formulas of the 2013 CCRPI for greater accuracy and clarity and recalculated the 2012 baseline scores based on the updated calculations to allow for fair comparison.

Cobb elementary schools scored 81.3, a 1.1 point increase from the readjusted 2012 score and 3.3 points higher than the state average. Local middle schools rated 83.4, a 1.9 increase over 2012 and 8.4 points higher than the state. The CCRPI score for Cobb high schools decreased by six points to 77.7, yet remains 5.7 points greater than the statewide high school average. The combined district score for the Cobb County School District is 80.7.

The base CCRPI score for each school is calculated from three, separately weighted components:

• Achievement Points account for 60 percent of the overall school score and include state standardized tests such as the CRCT and Georgia High School Graduation Tests; the SAT and ACT, graduation rates, core courses passed, Advanced Placement, and career pathways. The weight of Achievement Points to the overall CCRPI score was decreased from 70 percent for 2013.
• Progress Points account for 25 percent of the overall school score and gauge the growth students achieve from year to year. This score takes into account the rate of growth of similar groups of students in different schools and reports if students within the school are making similar gains. The weight of Progress Points to the overall CCRPI score was increased from 15 percent for 2013.
• Achievement Gap Points account for 15 percent, measuring the difference between performance of the lowest 25 percent of students and performance of the overall Georgia student population. The rubric and scale used to calculate Achievement Gap points were also adjusted for 2013.

Schools may also receive additional Exceeding the Bar (ETB) Points for demonstrating excellence in specified areas, such as innovative practices and STEM certification.

Twenty CCSD elementary schools scored 90 or greater on the 2013 index. Rocky Mount Elementary posted the District’s highest elementary score of 96.6, while Brumby, Hollydale and Nickajack each posted gains of 13 or more points. At the middle school level, Dickerson, Dodgen, Durham, Hightower Trail, Lost Mountain, Lovinggood, Mabry, and Simpson each scored 90 or more points on the CCRPI. Griffin Middle posted an 11 point improvement compared to its readjusted 2012 score and Hightower Trail scored 96.6, the most of Cobb middle schools. Nine of 16 Cobb high schools scored greater than the state average score of 77.7; of those, Harrison, Hillgrove, Lassiter, Pope and Walton scored 90 or greater. Walton High School’s index of 92.8 is the highest among CCSD high schools (see Table II).

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michael Hinojosa said, “The CCRPI results show Cobb is well-positioned among school districts statewide and in the metro Atlanta area. The measure is more comprehensive than anything we've used in the past, and it gives significant weight to a school's achievement growth over the course of a school year, not just on one score from one test given at one particular time. These results will be an informative data point for our schools as they work on specific areas that need improvement. In a district like Cobb with 114 schools, every year some will improve while others decline. Overall, though, we would like to see the trend line move in a positive direction.”

The Georgia Department of Education uses the CCRPI to hold schools accountable for results, provide more prescriptive state support and reward schools for high performance and progress. Detailed information about the College and Career Ready Performance Index, including full reports for individual schools and districts and calculation methods, is available from the Georgia Department of Education.

2013 CCRPI Reports

2012 CCRPI Reports

Included here is the full release in PDF format, including results for individual CCSD schools and a chart comparing Cobb County School District results with other metro Atlanta school systems.