Sandtown 8th Graders, Fulton Schools Show Gains on 8th Grade Writing Test

Sandtown Middle School 8th graders posted a four percent increase on the Georgia Grade 8 Writing Assessment according to data released Tuesday by the Fulton County Public Schools.

According to the district report (see in gallery), 91 percent of all 8th graders scored a "Meets or Exceeds Standards" on the annual benchmark writing test.

That compares with 91 percent of 8th graders who took the test in Fulton County Schools and 82 percent in the state.

The percent of students reaching the standard on the 23 Fulton Middle Schools, improved every year since the 2007 inception of the test except for 2009, when the district-wide percentage dropped from 88 to 84. 

According to a district news release, 22 of the Fulton middle schools had more than 80% of their students "meet or exceed standards." Seven schools had 95% of their 8th graders in the category: Autrey Mill, Fulton Science Academy, Haynes Bridge, Northwestern, River Trail, Taylor Road, and Webb Bridge.  

“We have seen significant improvement over the past five years,"  said Superintendent Cindy Loe. "In 2007, our scores were around 80% but have climbed to 91%.... This achievement shows that our students and teachers have been working really hard to master the new language arts curriculum and improve their skills.”

As a part of the statewide testing program, the Grade 8 Writing Assessment was administered in January and required students to write a composition on an assigned topic.

The annual assessment provides 8th graders with a measurement of their writing performance. This information can help students, parents, and teachers understand areas where students may need to focus their efforts to improve writing skills before taking the writing portion of the Georgia High School Graduation Test in the junior year.

For additional information about the exam, please see the attached pdf or visit the Fulton County Schools website.