George County School District presents accountability ratings, board presses for more data on assessments

District staff (S2) presented George County School District’s accountability informationboard, saying the district and several schools were measured on a 1,000-point scale and that George County High School retained an A rating. S2 highlighted third-grade test pass rates, noting math proficiency exceeded reading proficiency in several grades.

Board members, led by S6, asked detailed questions about how growth projections and proficiency goals are set, whether high-performing math practices were being shared district-wide and how assessment norms affect accountability results. S2 said the district uses multiple assessment tools, conducts site visits and supports targeted small-group instruction; S2 also said EOS (an assessment tool) remains in use but is not the primary tool, and the district has added other software for English and tracking for math.

S6 pressed that some students showed growth yet missed the proficiency threshold used in state accountability. S2 said the accountability model allows three attempts for certain assessments and that proficiency cutoffs and norms affect reported outcomes; the presentation noted growth but also that some benchmarks were not met.

The board asked staff to return with more detailed performance-tracking data and site-visit findings at the next meeting so members can better evaluate instructional alignment and the district’s lowest-performing groups.