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Midyear STAR results show high overall proficiency but persistent low-growth pockets; district to add K-5 roles after state review
Summary
District midyear STAR assessments showed strong proficiency and growth for many students but identified roughly 30% of students in low-growth categories across subgroups; a Georgia Department of Education review found longstanding disproportionality, and the superintendent announced new school-based positions to address K-5 inequities.
City Schools of Decatur presented midyear STAR assessment results on Jan. 14 that showed the district has strong overall achievement in reading and math, but administrators cautioned that persistent low-growth pockets among certain student groups require targeted intervention.
Deputy Superintendent Karen Newton Scott and Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Burton led a data briefing, explaining how the STAR suite (Early Literacy, STAR Reading, and STAR Math) is used for K-12 screening and growth tracking. Scott explained the district switched from MAP to STAR for K-8 after the state—s advisory list and the Georgia Literacy Act guided the choice.
The district reported that, districtwide, 72% to 79% of students scored at or above proficiency across assessments at midyear and that many students demonstrated typical or high growth between fall and winter administrations. But administrators flagged a consistent pattern: about 30% of students across racial subgroups were in the low-growth category on several measures. Scott illustrated how the STAR growth metric compares students with peers who had similar fall scores, so two students who finish at the same winter score can show different growth percentiles depending on their starting point.
Burton said the teaching and learning team will work individually with schools to create action plans for students who did not make adequate growth, focusing on students below the 30th percentile. "We are looking at each student as an individual," she said, describing interventions such as adjusted intervention schedules, added intervention time, "lunch bunch" language groups, and steps to remove attendance barriers that limit access to instruction. District staff said action plans will be monitored centrally and will include co-created supports with school teams.
Superintendent Dr. Eva Whitaker also announced that because the district had a long history of disproportionality for special-education identification, the Georgia Department of Education conducted an on-site review in October and will provide targeted technical assistance. Whitaker said the district will post several new K-5 positions to address inequities: two roles at K-2 and one role at grades 3-5, placed at school level and reporting to principals. She said positions will be posted in February and the district is seeking candidates with experience reducing disproportionate outcomes.
Ending: District leaders said STAR provides actionable growth measures that will guide school-level intervention plans and that the state review will include follow-up support; the board and staff said they expect school-based hires and action-plan monitoring to begin this spring.
