Fulton County reports gains from summer learning; district seeks waiver of state retest requirement for 2025–26

Rebecca Williams, executive director of academic programs, presented an update on Fulton County’s Summer Learning program and recommended the board approve staff’s waiver recommendation for statewide retest rules for 2025 and 2026 while the district develops a longer-term retest strategy.

Williams said summer 2024 served more than 10,000 students and allowed high-school students to earn more than 8,000 credits. She summarized survey results showing 80% of parents reported that summer learning prepared their child for the next grade, and 88% of participating educators said they would return to teach in future summer sessions.

To measure learning, the district used two approaches in 2024: district-developed pre/post standard-aligned assessments and the I-Ready diagnostic (taken spring and again in fall). Williams reported average pre/post gains of 30% in mathematics and 23% in reading on the district-developed assessments. On I-Ready, summer learning students saw an average four-point advantage versus nonparticipants between spring and fall diagnostics; Williams said staff equate a four-point difference to about two months of learning.

She noted limitations: only about 40% of summer participants completed all required district-developed pre/post assessments in 2024, a participation rate lower than recent state retest participation in some years. The state did not offer Georgia Milestones retests for math in 2024 because of new standards, and staff said implementing summer retests this year would likely have to be paused again in 2026 as standards change. For these reasons Williams asked the board to approve a waiver of the Milestones retest requirement for 2025 and 2026 and to pursue a long-term retest plan beginning in 2027.

Staff also outlined operational changes for 2025 intended to increase attendance and consistency: earlier family outreach starting in February, a midweek break around July 4 to limit absenteeism spikes, strengthened PBIS strategies, assignment of an administrator to monitor middle/high school attendance, expanded leadership responsibilities for year-round assistant principals, continued multimodal instruction (in-person, virtual, hybrid), and strengthened parent town halls and communications.

The waiver and assessment-plan continuation appeared on the board’s agenda as an item for action later in the meeting; at the Jan. 14 work session staff presented data and recommended the waiver but no final board vote occurred that night.

Ending: Williams said staff will expand attendance and monitoring, continue the three delivery modalities and return with a long-term retest plan beginning in 2027 if the board approves the temporary waiver for 2025–26.