Mrs. LaRita Wiggins, Assistant Principal      Mr. Gabriel Wiley, Principal      Mr. Dwayne Richards, Assistant Principal

                  Monday, February 17, 2015

Jaguar Family:

As you may be aware, the latest College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) report has been posted for public review by the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE).  This school performance measure is the third such score produced for all schools in the State of Georgia and was originally implemented to replace the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) reports from No Child Left Behind (NCLB).  The results of the revamped report encompass student achievement, student growth, programmatic evaluation, and student achievement variances between groups of students.

The recently released scores reflect school performance for the 2013-14 school year only.  It is important to keep in mind that the bar was raised for all schools across the state this year and many schools saw scores reflecting this action. Much work surrounding strengths and addressing areas of need has already taken place with regards to our own performance measures derived from the 2013-14 school year.

With our current score of a 79.5, an explanation of what that means is important.  For quick review, in past years our accountability rested with either a “Made AYP” or “Did Not Make AYP” indication.  A numeric score allows us the opportunity to further explore and address areas for improvement while also capitalizing on areas where we are currently performing at high levels.  Making or not making AYP never gave us the opportunity to fully share how and what we were doing to help our students learn, grow, and achieve at high levels.

While the scores (out of 100 possible points) are meant to be easy to understand, it is important to note what contributes to the composite scores.  It is also very important to look more at the scores used to derive a composite score as those can paint a more in-depth picture of our school’s work.

A school’s score is made up of three major areas: Achievement (60 points possible), Progress (25 points possible) and Achievement Gap (15 points possible).  In addition to the three major areas, some schools receive “Challenge Points” to add to their score (up to 10 points). These are possible if a school has a significant number of Economically Disadvantaged students, English Language Learner students, and Students with Disabilities meeting expectations.  Schools can also receive points for going beyond the targets of the CCRPI by challenging students to exceed expectations and participate in college and career readiness programs.

Austin Road Middle School’s overall rating of 79.5 is an accumulation or sum of points earned in each of the aforementioned categories. Currently ARMS ranks fifth overall amongst all middle schools in Henry County, and we are making great strides to improve this ranking in subsequent years. The diligent work of our students, teachers and faculty will continue, and our scores will help us further identify areas of strength and need as we develop our school improvement plans.  Please visit our website for more details about the CCRPI Report and the steps we are taking to improve our school performance. Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Gabriel J. Wiley, Principal