GCPS Students Score Well on CRCTs

Gwinnett County Public Schools students continue to surpass their peers across the state on Georgia's Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCTs).

Gwinnett mean scores on 2011-12 CRCTs for students in grades 3-8 were above the state averages in all content areas at all grade levels, according to results recently announced in a press release by Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS).

GCPS students in grades 3-8 took the state-mandated tests in April.

More GCPS test-takers met or exceeded the state standard than their peers statewide at all grade levels. In addition, Gwinnett students surpassed the state
average in terms of students performing at the highest level ­– Level 3 –
exceeding state standards in nearly all subtests.

The CRCTs measure what students in grades 3-8 should know and be able to do
at their grade levels in Reading, English/Language Arts, Mathematics,
Science, and Social Studies based on Georgia’s Performance Standards (GPS)
curriculum. A student’s performance falls into one of three performance
levels or standards:

• Level 1-- Does Not Meet the Standard
• Level 2-- Meets the Standard
• Level 3-- Exceeds the Standard

Gwinnett Elementary CRCT Highlights for 2011-12:

• Gwinnett 3rd graders improved over the previous year’s class in nearly every area and increased the percentage of students scoring in the “exceeds” category in every area with 94 percent meeting or exceeding the standard for their grade level in Reading, 95 percent in English/Language Arts, 88 percent in Mathematics, 86 percent in Science and 89 in Social Studies.
• Gwinnett 4th graders also improved over the previous year’s class innearly every area with 95 percent meeting or exceeding the standard in Reading, 96 percent in English/Language Arts, 90 percent in Mathematics, 91percent in Science, and 91 percent in Social Studies.
• Of last year’s 5th grade CRCT takers, 95 percent met or exceeded the standard in Reading, 98 percent in English/Language Arts, 91 in Mathematics, 88 in Science and 87 in Social Studies.
• At least 40 percent of Gwinnett test-takers at each grade level exceeded the state standard in Reading.
• At the elementary level, Gwinnett students raised the percentage achieving in the Exceeds performance level on 12 subtests. Of particular note is in 4th grade Science, 61 percent of students exceeded the state standard.

Gwinnett Middle School CRCT Highlights for 2011-12:

• 97 percent of 6th grade students met or exceeded the state standard for Reading and 94 percent met or exceeded the standard in English/Language Arts. In Mathematics, 88 percent met or exceeded standards in Mathematics, while that figure was 84 percent in Science. In Social Studies, 84 percent met or exceeded the state standard.
• 98 percent of Gwinnett 7th graders met or exceeded the state standard in Reading, and 97 percent did so in English/Language Arts, 96 percent in Mathematics, 94 in Science, and 92 percent in Social Studies.
• In 8th grade, Gwinnett saw 98 percent meeting or exceeding the standard for their grade level in Reading, 97 percent in English/Language Arts, 85 percent in Mathematics, 85 percent in Science and 86 percent in Social Studies.
• At least 40 percent of Gwinnett middle school test-takers at each grade level exceeded the state standard in Reading.
• Gwinnett students raised the percentage achieving in the exceeds performance level on 12 subtests at the middle school level. Of particular note is 71 percent of 7th graders exceeded state standards in Social Studies and 64 percent did so in Science.