Gwinnett Schools Surpass State Averages in CRCT Scores

Gwinnett County Public Schools scored above state standards across the board in the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) for grades 3-8, the school system said Wednesday.

Gwinnett's mean scores were above the average in all content areas and grade levels, and more county test-takers met or exceed standards than the state averages in all grades.

Students in grades 3-8 took the test in April. Results were released Wednesday by the state. Click here for statewide results

The tests measure students based on the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards in reading, English/language arts, math, science and social studies.

Gwinnett’s CRCT highlights (from GCPS press release)

• Gwinnett 3rd graders improved over the previous year’s class in both English/Language Arts and in Math with 93 percent meeting or exceeding the standard for their grade level in English/Language Arts and 87 percent in Mathematics. In other areas, the percentages of students meeting or exceeding the standards are 95 percent in Reading, 84 percent in Science, and 89 percent in Social Studies. exceeding the standards are 95 percent in Reading, 84 percent in Science, and 89 percent in Social Studies.

• Gwinnett 4th graders showed improvement in Reading with 97 percent meeting or exceeding the standard. In other areas, the percentages of students meeting or exceeding the standards are 95 percent in English/Language Arts, 91 percent in Math, 90 percent in Science, and 92 percent in Social Studies. Of particular interest is the 4 percentage point increase in the percent of students exceeding the standard in Reading and in Social Studies.

• Of last year’s 5th grade CRCT takers, 97 percent met or exceeded the standard in Reading, 97 percent in English/Language Arts, 93 in Mathematics, 87 in Science and 87 in Social Studies. At this grade level, GCPS saw an 8 percentage point increase in the percent of students exceeding the standard in Reading.

• 98 percent of 6th grade students met or exceeded the state standard for Reading and 95 percent met or exceeded the standard in English/Language Arts. In Mathematics, 91 percent met or exceeded standards in Mathematics, while that figure was 84 percent in Science. In Social Studies, 88 percent met or exceeded the state standard. In 6th grade, students posted a 4 percentage point increase in the percent of students exceeding the standard in Reading.

• 98 percent of Gwinnett 7th graders met or exceeded the state standard in both Reading and English/Language Arts. In the other areas tested, achievement at these higher levels was 96 percent in Mathematics, 93 in Science, and 93 percent in Social Studies. Of particular interest is the 11 percentage point increase in the percent of students exceeding the standard in Reading.

• In 8th grade, Gwinnett saw 99 percent meeting or exceeding the standard for their grade level in Reading, 97 percent in English/Language  Arts, 91 percent in Mathematics, 85 percent in Science and 88 percent in Social Studies. In looking at the percentage of students scoring at the highest level—Exceeds the Standard—GCPS 8th graders made significant gains with increases of 5 percentage points in English/Language Arts, Mathematics, and Social Studies and an 11 percentage point increase in Reading.