Evans County School Makes Enough Improvement to Exit ‘Bottom 5%’ List

The Georgia Department of Education recently released the 2019-20 lists of Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) and Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) schools, along with the list of schools who made the improvements needed to exit CSI or TSI status.

From 2018 to 2019, 47 schools made the necessary improvements to exit CSI-lowest 5 percent status, CSI-low graduation rate status, or TSI status.

Schools Identified for Additional Support (CSI and TSI)

Under ESSA, states are required to identify schools in need of additional support.

CSI schools fall into one or both of the following categories:

• Lowest 5%: Title I schools that, when ranked according to their three-year CCRPI average, are among the lowest performing 5% of Title I schools in the state
• Low Graduation Rate: High schools with a four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate less than or equal to 67%

TSI schools fall into one of the following categories:

• Consistently Underperforming Subgroup: The school has at least one subgroup performing in the lowest 5% of all schools in at least 50% of CCRPI components.
• Additional Targeted Support: Among all schools identified in the “Consistently Underperforming Subgroup” category, the school has at least one subgroup that is performing in the lowest 5% of schools in all CCRPI components.

The Georgia Department of Education’s Office of School Improvement works directly with CSI schools and provides assistance to help them improve the educational outcomes of their students. School districts are charged with providing supports to TSI schools, while the state provides professional learning and targeted technical assistance.

Schools Exiting the Lowest 5% and Other Designations

Twenty-six schools made the improvements necessary to exit the lowest 5% of schools or CSI-low graduation rate status, and another 21 made the improvements necessary to exit TSI status, for a total of 47 schools.

The Evans County Second Chance Academy was on the exit list this year.

“It is our responsibility as a state to provide the support all schools need to improve, including intensive and tailored supports for struggling schools,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “Our entire agency, led by our Office of School Improvement, partners with schools identified for additional support to ensure they have the resources they need to succeed – and that’s producing real improvements in schools. We’ll continue this ‘all hands on deck’ approach to school improvement, with the ultimate goal of ensuring every student in our state has access to a high-quality K-12 education.”

This is a press release from the Georgia Department of Education.