Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) students showed strong improvement on the 2023-2024 Milestones Assessment. GCPS met or exceeded the performance of the state and Metro Regional Education Services Area (RESA*) for all ELA and social studies assessments. GCPS students scored higher than the state on 11 of 13 Milestones assessments and better than students in the Metro Regional Education Services Area (RESA) on 9 of 13 Milestones assessments.  

     GCPS had a larger percentage of elementary students in the top two performance levels (Proficient and Distinguished) than the state. Middle school results were similar except for 8th-grade science.  

More About 8th Grade Science in GCPS  

• Due to GCPS enrollment activities, the majority of GCPS 8th graders are enrolled in the more rigorous physical science course and are assessed by the high school Physical Science assessment instead of the 8th-grade science End of Grade Milestones assessment.   
• Ninety-seven percent (97%) of GCPS 8th graders take the high school Physical Science Assessment, compared to 40% of the state’s qualifying students taking the high school Physical Science Milestones assessment. As a result, GCPS 8th graders did not perform better than the state or Metro RESA on the 8th-grade science HS Physical Science Assessment.   

 

     GCPS Superintendent Dr. Calvin J. Watts is pleased with the latest results. “I am proud that GCPS students continue to make progress on the 2023-2024 Georgia Milestones assessments,” Dr. Watts shares. “Their hard work, dedication, and perseverance truly reflect the spirit of our community and the commitment of our educators and families. These results underscore our ongoing commitment to improving our instructional practices and increasing academic outcomes for each and every student.”      

     A Closer Look at Gwinnett Elementary & Middle School EOG and High School EOC Results: Percent of Students Scoring Proficient/Distinguished 

	Gwinnett County Public Schools	Metro   RESA*	Georgia
3rd-grade Milestones ELA	42%	41%	39%
4th grade Milestones ELA	42%	41%	37%
5th grade Milestones ELA	53%	51%	48%
6th grade Milestones ELA	50%	47%	42%
7th grade Milestones ELA	49%	45%	40%
8th grade Milestones ELA	52%	49%	45%
5th grade Milestones Science	51%	44%	41%
8th grade Milestones Social Studies	47%	41%	38%
8th grade Milestones Science	1%	24%	25%
High School Milestones Physical Science	38%	49%	51%
High School Milestones EOC Biology	50%	51%	47%
High School Milestones EOC American Literature & Composition	47%	50%	44%
High School Milestones EOC United States History	40%	41%	38%

*The following districts are served by the Metro RESA: Atlanta Public Schools, Buford City Schools, Clayton County Schools, Cobb County Schools, Decatur City Schools, DeKalb County Schools, Douglas County Schools, Forsyth County Schools, Fulton County Schools, Gwinnett County Schools, Marietta City Schools, and Rockdale County Schools.  

A review of how Metro RESA school districts’ performance in higher levels of learning (Proficient and Distinguished) shows that Gwinnett continues to be among the top metro districts.    

     “We recognize that while these results show progress, they also fall short of our ambitious goals in the Blueprint,” GCPS Deputy Superintendent of Academic Services Dr. Nikki Mouton shares. “Staff are already analyzing the data more deeply to identify appropriate strategies to support student success across all grade levels.”  

     Gwinnett County Public Schools remains committed to fostering a culture of continuous improvement where our core business is teaching and learning with an emphasis on learning.   

 

Additional Information  

• GCPS 2024 Milestones results will be shared with the Gwinnett County Board of Education and the public during the Work Session on Thursday, August 15, 2024.  
   
• The Georgia Milestones assessment system meets the federal requirement that states test students in math and ELA in grades 3-8, once in high school, and in science once per grade band (3-5, 6-8, 9-12). Learn more about the Georgia Milestones Assessment System here: GaDOE Georgia Milestones Assessment System webpage.   
   
• Math results are delayed statewide until late September, due to new statewide math standards.  
   
• To access data for Milestones, you may visit the Georgia Department of Education website by clicking this link.