Gwinnett Students Top State CRCT Average

Gwinnett County Public Schools announced Wednesday that results of the 2010-11 Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) for grades 3-8 beat state averages.

Mean scores in all content areas — Reading, English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies — were above state averages at all grade levels and more Gwinnett students, on average, scored in the exceeds-standards categories compared the state average.

Gwinnett students took the state-mandated tests in April. Around 12,000 students in each grade took the tests.

School-level results will be available next month. System results are as follows:

--Third grade: Reading, 93.9 percent met or exceeded state standards, 45.8 percent exceeded; English/Language Arts, 93.5 met/exceeded, 44.0 exceeded; Mathematics, 86.7 met/exceeded, 49.4 exceeded;  Science, 86.8 met/exceeded, 45.5 exceeded; Social Studies, 88.3 met/exceeded, 35.2 exceeded.

--Fourth grade: Reading, 93.5 percent met or exceeded, 48.1 percent exceeded; English/Language Arts, 94.2 met/exceeded, 45.2 exceeded; Mathematics, 90.4 met/exceeded, 50.6 exceeded; Science, 90.1 met/exceeded, 56.7 exceeded; Social Studies, 90.4 met/exceeded, 39.7 exceeded.

--Fifth grade: Reading, 94.0 percent met or exceeded, 40.9 percent exceeded; English/Language Arts, 96.6 met/exceeded, 43.4 exceeded; Mathematics, 93.3 met/exceeded, 53.5 exceeded; Science, 86.0 met/exceeded, 49.0 exceeded; Social Studies, 82.1 met/exceeded, 33.2 exceeded.

--Sixth grade: Reading, 95.7 percent met or exceeded, 45.1 percent exceeded; English/Language Arts, 93.8 met/exceeded, 41.8 exceeded; Mathematics, 84.9 met/exceeded, 31.8 exceeded; Science, 82.3 met/exceeded, 29.2 exceeded; Social Studies, 83.6 met/exceeded, 51.8 exceeded.

--Seventh grade: Reading, 95.9 percent met or exceeded, 35.8 percent exceeded; English/Language Arts, 96.9 met/exceeded, 56.2 exceeded; Mathematics, 95.4 met/exceeded, 55.9 exceeded; Science, 92.9 met/exceeded, 58.7 exceeded; Social Studies, 89.4 met/exceeded, 66.5 exceeded.

--Eighth grade: Reading, 97.2 percent met or exceeded, 45.2 percent exceeded; English/Language Arts, 95.4 met/exceeded, 51.7 exceeded; Mathematics, 85.3 met/exceeded, 38.2 exceeded; Science, 78.9 met/exceeded, 29.8 exceeded; Social Studies, 81.3 met/exceeded, 40.5 exceeded.

 “These CRCT results affirm our focus on improving achievement for all students through high expectations, increased rigor, and student engagement in learning activities,” Dale Robbins, Gwinnett’s associate superintendent for Teaching and Learning Support, said in a released statement. “We work very hard to encourage students to higher and higher levels of achievement. Our goal is not for students to simply ‘pass;’ our goal is for them to exceed the standards set by the state. Double-digit increases in the ‘exceeds’ category were achieved in fourth-grade reading (+10), fifth-grade reading (+12) and in seventh-grade social studies (+13). We will continue to challenge students to achieve at their greatest potential by incorporating strategies such as problem solving, decision making and collaboration.”