newsroom
January 2012
Troup County School System archives news articles for approximately one year on this website. To read an article from a previous month, click on the date link at left.
Students Prepare for Spelling Bee
Substitute Teacher Workshop Scheduled
Pre-K and Kindergarten Registration Approaching
2010 Adequate Yearly Progress Report
Troup County named as one of the 100 Best Communities for Young People by the America's Promise Alliance!
The 100 Best Communities for Young People competition identifies cities nationwide that have made the well-being of children and youth a priority.
School
Board Officers Named
Tuesday, January 17th the Troup County Board of Education elected Mr. John Darden (left) as Board Chair and Mr. Alfred McNair (right), Vice-Chair, effective with the January 19th regular board meeting.
Troup County School System Mission, District Goals and Beliefs Approved at the January 2012 Meeting
The mission of the Troup County School System is to educate all students in a challenging and safe learning environment so they will become productive citizens in a diverse and changing world. ...MORE
TROUP COUNTY SCHOOLS RECOGNIZED AS DISTINGUISHED
All thirteen elementary schools in Troup County received recognition as Title I Distinguished Schools for Georgia by State Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Barge. This designation is given to Title I schools which have made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) at least three years in a row. A total of 824 schools in the state earned the honor.
"We are very proud of our students, teachers, and administrators for their continued dedication to academic excellence," said Title I Coordinator Leigh Thrailkill. “The team efforts of parents, school, and community were significant in reaching this level of recognition.”
Unity Elementary School has made AYP for twelve consecutive years. The school has now earned the Title I Distinguished School award for ten years in a row, more than any other school in Troup County.
Schools with a significant population of students who are economically disadvantaged can be designated as Title I and become eligible for federal funding to assist with the education of these students. In Troup County, all thirteen elementary schools are Title I schools.
Troup County Elementary Schools
1. Berta Weathersbee Elementary
2. Callaway Elementary
3. Ethel Kight Magnet
4. Franklin Forest Elementary
5. Hillcrest Elementary
6. Hogansville Elementary
7. Hollis Hand Elementary
8. Long Cane Elementary
9. Mountville Elementary
10. Rosemont Elementary
11. Unity Elementary
12. West Point Elementary
13. Whitesville Road Elementary
Georgia Ranks 7th in the Nation in New Education Report
Georgia ranks 7th in the nation for overall education quality, according to an Education Week report released today. The annual “Quality Counts" report is an investigation of key education outcomes that provides ranks and grades for each state based on their commitment to improve educational policies and practices. This year’s report gave Georgia a grade of B-. Last year, Georgia ranked 8th among all states.
“We are very pleased with the overall marks that Education Week gave Georgia for its commitment to education,” said State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge. “While there is still plenty of work to do to improve education in Georgia, it’s good to see others recognizing some of the improvements that are happening in our state through the extraordinary work of our students, teachers, and leaders.”
Highlights from the Education Week Report
Areas of Continual Strengths
Ranking 6th and earning a letter grade of B+, Georgia remains a national example of best practices in the area of Transition and Alignment (which addresses the articulations between early childhood education, K-12 education, and postsecondary institutions).
Additionally, Georgia remained in the top 10 of all states for the second straight year in the development of a rigorous and appropriate accountability system for teachers, along with providing teachers with incentives for certification and performance and enhancing building-level capacity and support. Finally, Georgia received an A- for our Standards, Assessment, and Accountability policies and programs. Georgia is only one of ten states to have alignment between standards and assessment in the area of Social Studies and is a national leader in portfolio assessments for students.
Areas of Growth
Using the metrics within the "Quality Counts" survey, Georgia saw tremendous growth in a number of student achievement indicators during the 2010-2011 year. In particular, Georgia experienced the 4th largest reduction in the 8th Grade Poverty Gap Closure in mathematics. Additionally, Georgia had the 6th largest scale score gains on the NAEP assessment for 4th grade Reading. Finally, Georgia ranked 4th in the Change in AP Scores category which examines the change in high scores per 100 students between 2000 and 2010. Georgia also ranked 9th in the scores of 3 or higher for each 100 students on the AP tests, cementing Georgia’s reputation as a national leader in AP testing and AP achievement.
Interesting Findings
Despite the high ranking, Georgia ranks 24th in the overall School Finance Analysis and 38th in the adjustment per-pupil expenditures. This illustrates that while Georgia may not rank highly in the amount it spends per child, our education leaders and teachers are doing an extremely effective job at content delivery and ensuring students have the tools to succeed.
“This report demonstrates that improving education for Georgia’s students is more than evaluating a single test score,” said Superintendent Barge. “We will continue to focus on raising the quality of education so our students are ultimately prepared for college and careers."
