Peach Tree Times

Georgia's School Superintendent, Richard Woods, has unveiled substantial modifications to the 2023 College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI). The changes are designed to highlight advancements in academic areas such as Progress and Readiness. Officials have indicated that the decision to abandon the 100-point scale is intended to provide a more comprehensive view of school performance, underlining a nuanced approach for enhanced analysis and targeted academic improvements.

Woods, speaking at the Georgia Department of Education, noted: "The 2023 College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) scores show improvements in Content Mastery, with the highest component scores in Progress and Readiness."

In a press release by the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE), Woods further elaborated on these developments: "I am proud to see Georgia students making academic progress and succeeding in and out of core subject areas. There are clear areas of strength, and areas for improvement as well – as a state, we will continue to invest in academic recovery to address targeted needs and ensure every student receives an excellent education. I have long said that the CCRPI’s 100-point single score vastly oversimplified the complicated factors that influence school quality. With this change, the CCRPI is more like the ‘report card’ it was always intended to be – encouraging schools, families, and communities to dig into the data and both celebrate achievements and address issues that tended to be obscured by the single score."

GaDOE's quote | X

According to another GaDOE press release, from 2022 onwards, CCRPI no longer assigns an overall 0-100 score to schools, districts or states. This shift was cemented in 2023 under Georgia's Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan amendment. However, individual CCRPI components such as Content Mastery, Progress, Closing Gaps, Readiness and Graduation Rate for high schools will still maintain their respective 0-100 scores.

In the 2023 assessment, as per GaDOE, schools performed well in Readiness and Progress components, focusing on literacy, diverse instruction success rates, Career Pathways, college readiness and student attendance. However, lower scores were observed in Closing Gaps and Content Mastery. These areas indicate challenges in subgroup improvement targets and statewide assessment performance. Despite this, Content Mastery showed modest improvement statewide across elementary, middle and high schools compared to the previous year.

The GaDOE explains that the CCRPI components assess various aspects of student achievement and readiness. Content Mastery evaluates if students reach required levels for future grades or careers. Progress measures student growth compared to peers. Closing Gaps focuses on improvements for all student groups. Readiness examines student engagement in activities preparing them for higher education or careers, while Graduation Rates assess timely high school diploma attainment.