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Academic data presented to Chambers County’s school board on Wednesday showed that graduation rates have increased and English Language Arts, math and science grades are increasing.

CCSD Director of Testing Fran Groover presented the academic data to the school board.

Students at W. F. Burns Middle School and Fairfax Elementary are seeing growth in their ACCESS scores. Last year, 39% of students met their Growth Target Score. Whereas, this past year, 41% of students met that score.

Districtwide, students improved their ACCESS scores, moving closer to their target growth scores. In 2022, 48% of students improved but didn’t meet their target score, and in 2023, 77% of students improved.

The graduation rates for the past three years have also been on the upswing. The state average for 2022 was 89%. In 2021, it was 91%. For CCSD, the average for both years was about 88%.

In 2023, LaFayette High School was at 91% of the cohort while 100% of seniors currently enrolled graduated.

The ACAP summative ELA and math data for grades second through eighth shows that second-grade and fifth-grade ELA scores were close to the state average. Sixth-grade science scores were also close to the statewide average.

Superintendent Casey Chambley addressed that some data revealed that the average student has seen their scores decrease over the past three years.

“I know you might be looking at that, and everybody’s saying, ‘What in the world? What happened? How did you lose? Did somebody suck knowledge out of their brain?’” Chambley said.

Chambley explained that as students move up grade levels, the expectations for achievement and growth increase.

In 2021, seventh-grade ELA scores were at 24% proficiency. By 2022, those student scores almost doubled to 41% in eighth grade. These are students who are now in ninth grade.

Over the last three years, fifth grade students have had positive trends in ELA moving from 45% proficient in 2021, to 45% proficient to 51% proficient in 2023.

“So we do see some increases that we are proud of,” Groover said.

There were some decreases in scores for fourth graders. Chambley again addressed the scores, calling them a product of the academic gap that students faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Remember who those fourth graders are and where they were in COVID, and where we were when they were at a very critical time,” he said.

“A kid that’s in the in kindergarten, first or second grade that missed maybe a year of school is having a major impact on their achievement.”