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Columbia County

School DistrictAnnual Report

2016-2017

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Columbia County Board of Education

Board of Education Chairman, Mrs. Regina Buccafusco, and District Four Board Member, Mrs. Roxanne Whitaker completed their terms on December 31, 2016.

Mrs. Buccafusco, the first elected board chairman in the county, served for eighteen years. Mrs. Whitaker, who represented Harlem and Grovetown, served for twenty years.

Their unflagging support, wisdom, and experience will be missed.

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools-Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS-CASI) awarded District Accreditation to the Columbia County School District as a quality school district in 2016, 2011 and 2006.

The Columbia County School District does not discriminate on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, race, handicap, religion, or national origin in educational programs and activities, in admission to school district facilities or in employment practices.

David DekleChairman

Kristi BakerDistrict 2

Lee Ann MeyerDistrict 4

David AlalofDistrict 1

Mike SleeperVice-Chairman

District 3

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In the Columbia County School District, 2016-2017 was a BIG year! Most notably, student enrollment increasedby nearly eight hundred, with the largest areas of growth taking place along the William Few Parkway corridor. Thankfully, earlier rezoning made it possible to accommodate the influx of new students with very little discomfort.

From the opening of Parkway Elementary School in July to Lakeside Middle School’s earning the coveted state STEM certification in the spring, the year’s events continued to be BIG! For example,

• Four hundred thirty high school students earned Advanced Placement (AP) honors for exemplary performance on multiple Advanced Placement exams.

• District ACT scores were the fifth highest and SAT scores were eleventh highest out of 180 districts in the state.• Evans High School received College Board approval to offer the AP Capstone diploma seal, after a two-year

application process. • After a rigorous three-year process, Lakeside High School was approved to offer the International Baccalaureate

Program.

Not surprisingly, students earned a multitude of scholarships for post-secondary study, with the most impressive being earned by Greenbrier High Senior Alexander Kirov, who was awarded a $40,000 Siemens Foundation Scholarship. No doubt he will put that to BIG use given his decision to attend Yale University in the fall!

The year also brought BIG improvements in support of student learning. The district added a director of digital learning, who will help us move forward in an ever-changing, ever-expanding digital world. And we added instructional support specialists to our middle school staff and technology support specialists to our high school staff. These support staff serve to help us place all of our attention on students and teachers, so that they may continue to experience significant success in meeting the BIG expectations involved in student learning.

With that in mind, I encourage you to examine this wide-ranging overview of the 2016-2017 school year and to celebrate with us the BIG accomplishments of our students, staff, and school district. Without a doubt, our community can count on and be proud of our students’ success!

SuperintendentDr. Sandra Carraway

We L.E.A.R.N.Lead by example

Expect all to succeed

Achieve excellence through engaging experiences

Respect and value each other

Now and tomorrow

The purpose of the Columbia County School District

is to empower and inspire ALL learners

to excel in a global society.

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Our Schools

Elementary Schools.....................................18Middle Schools.................................................8High Schools.....................................................5Alternative School..........................................1Total................................................................32

Enrollment by Specific Programs

Alternative Programs...............................193Early Intervention...................................2451English Language Learners.......................507Gifted (K-12)...........................................3449Remedial Education................................3716Special Education (K-12)......................2791

Enrollment

August 8, 2016................................25,892January 24. 2017............................26,814March , 23, 2017.............................26, 760May 26, 2017..................................26,704

Ethnic Distribution of Students

American Indian............................................70Asian.........................................................1046Black..........................................................5458Hispanic....................................................2611Multi-Racial.............................................1686Pacific Islander...............................................78White.....................................................15,903

DistrictProfile

Students from Military Families4457

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Agriculture student at Harlem High School learning to drive the tractor

Teacher Collaboration at Euchee Creek Elementary School

Veterans Day at Brookwood

Elementary School

Grovetown HighJROTC Drill Champions

GreenbrierHighSchool

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The STEM initiative represents a focus on Science, Engineering, and Mathematics programs and curriculum that provide students with an opportunity to learn more about careers in these fields. During the 2016-2017 school year, all eight middle schools continued developing STEM programs with Lakeside Middle School becoming the first middle school to receive STEM certification. Middle School teachers attended various STEM Teacher Academies to further their cadre of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) projects to empower students to become innovators and technologically proficient problem solvers. Numerous companies have supported our middle school STEM programs, providing tools such as state-of-the art Maker Space and Lego supplies. Our partnership with the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce has grown to provide an anchor company that supports each middle school in their STEM projects! Through the dedication and enthusiasm of faculty and

business partners, students are becoming proficient in the Engineering Design Process and applying it to solve real-world problems. Around the district, students are working collaboratively with teachers and business professionals on projects and research designs. Some of the student-led projects included a landfill recycling program, a blood drive event, and a new improved golf cart design. Increasing numbers of students in all middle schools participated in state and local STEM competitions such as the eCybermission Challenge, Future Problem Solvers, the John Deere Rocket Competition, Math Counts, CSRA Eco Challenge and the First Lego League Robotics, with many of our students placing in those competitions. STEM will continue to be infused in the middle schools in 2017-2018, equipping our students for great success in the future.

STEM: Science,

Technology, Engineering

and Math

Columbia County is employing the School-wide Enrichment Model (SEM) in all eighteen elementary schools. The SEM focuses on enrichment for all students through high levels of engagement and the use of enjoyable and challenging learning experiences that are created around students’ interests, learning styles, and preferred styles of expression. All elementary schools are implementing SEM enrichment clusters. The enrichment clusters provide opportunities for students to learn more about photography, cooking, dance, golf, meteorology, web design, engineering, global awareness, and much more. Schools invite community members to explain how these interests and skills are integrated in career opportunities. Students work in collaborative teams to create real world projects and have the opportunity to share what they have learned in enrichment cluster fairs.

Additional SEM components, (Type III) projects, and SEM-Reading, are also being implemented in several of our elementary schools. Type III projects allow students to independently examine areas of interest through project-based learning. SEM-R allows students to select reading material based on their interests and their instructional reading level with the guidance of their teachers. We are excited to transform the learning experiences for students in all of our elementary schools through the implementation of the SEM!

SEM:School-wideEnrichment

Model

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English Language Learners

Federal ProgramsThe Title I federal program provides financial assistance to school districts and schools with higher percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards. Federal funds are provided to eleven schools in Columbia County. The schools use Title I funds for additional teachers, instructional materials, technology, and parental involvement.

The purpose of the Title IIA federal program is to increase academic achievement by improving teacher and principal quality and effectiveness. Additionally, Title II strives to provide low-income and monority students greater access to effective teachers and principals. In Columbia County, Title IIA funds are used to increase the number of highly qualified teachers in classrooms, and provide professional learning to increase the effectiveness of teachers, paraprofessionals, and school leaders.

Gifted Learners On September 22, 2016, the Fourth Annual Gifted Program Parent Night was held at Parkway Elementary School. It was a wonderful opportunity

for parents to network while learning about the unique needs of their gifted learners. Over 150 parents were in attendance. A wide variety of relevant topics were addressed at numerous learning sessions, including Fostering Creativity in Gifted Children, Helping Gifted Youth Manage Stress, Motivating Underachieving Gifted Students, Overcoming Common Behavior Pitfalls of Twice Exceptional Students, Improving Time Management and Organizational Skills, and Ramping Up the High School Experience for College-Bound Students. The sessions were presented by leaders in the field of education from the Columbia County School District. The parents completed a survey that evening and the feedback was incredible. Plans are already underway for continuing this annual event.

English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) is a state-funded instructional program for eligible English Learners (ELs) in grades K-12. The ESOL program is a standards-based curriculum emphasizing academic and social language development. ESOL coursework is based upon the World Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) Consortium English Language Development (ELD) standards. Classroom teachers integrate these ELD standards with the Georgia Standards of Excellence to enable ELs to both communicate in English and demonstrate their academic, social, and cultural proficiency. Instructional approaches, both in ESOL and general education classes, ensure that the needs of our ELs are accommodated. Additional Title III federal funds are provided to supplement the ESOL services already in place.

The ESOL Program is taught at

Baker Place ElementaryBlue Ridge ElementaryBrookwood ElementaryCedar Ridge ElementaryGrovetown ElementaryMartinez Elementary

River Ridge ElementaryStevens Creek Elementary

Westmont ElementaryGrovetown Middle

Lakeside MiddleEvans High

Grovetown HighLakeside High

Title I SchoolsSchool-wide Programs

(40% or more free/reduced lunch)

Brookwood ElementaryCedar Ridge Elementary

Euchee Creek ElementaryGrovetown ElementaryMartinez Elementary

North Harlem ElementarySouth Columbia Elementary

Westmont ElementaryGrovetown Middle

Harlem MiddleLakeside Middle

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Advanced Placement Honors EHS GHS GTHS HHS LHS Total

AP Access and Support - Schools with at least 30% of their AP exams taken by stu-dents who identified themselves as African-American and/or Hispanic and 30% of all AP exams earning scores of 3 or higher.

✓AP Merit - Schools with at least 20% of the student population taking AP exams and at least 50% of all AP exams earning scores of three (3) or higher. ✓ ✓ ✓AP STEM - Schools with students testing in at least two (2) AP math courses and two (2) AP science courses (AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Statistics, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Environmental Science, AP Physics B, AP Physics C, AP Computer Science).

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓AP STEM Achievement - Schools with students testing in at least 2 AP math courses and 2 AP science courses and at least 40% of the exam scores on AP math and AP science exams earning scores of three (3) or higher.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓AP Challenge - Schools with enrollments of 900 or fewer students and students testing in four of the core areas (English, math, science, and social studies). ✓AP Humanities - Schools with students testing in all of the following AP courses: at least 1 ELA course, 2 social science courses, 1 fine arts course and 1 world language course.

✓ ✓AP Scholar - Students who receive scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams. 29 51 49 10 66 205

AP Scholar with Honor - Students who receive an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams. 21 20 13 3 26 83

AP Scholar with Distinction - Students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams. 19 48 17 2 43 129

National AP Scholar - Students who receive an average score of at least 4 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams. 1 4 0 0 8 13

Total 70 123 79 15 143 430

Georgia District Evans Greenbrier Grovetown Harlem LakesideAll Students 80.6 89.502 87.174 98.701 89.176 89.063 86.595These numbers reflect the students who graduated within four years of entering high school.

Graduation Rate by Race/Ethnicity and Other Subgroups Students

Graduates

in the

Class of 2017

American Indian/Alaskan --Asian/Pacific Islander 97.1Black 90.7Hispanic 81.9Multi-racial 86.3White 89.6Students with Disabilities 64.6English Learners 75.0Economically Disadvantaged 78.4

Cohort Graduation Rates

Strategic Plan Goal I:Empower and Inspire All Students to

Excel in a Global Society

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School 2012-2013

2013-2014

2014-2015

2015-2016

2016-2017

Baker Place Elementary 78.0 81.4 81.8 79.1 77.8Blue Ridge Elementary 88.7 86.8 85.9 88.6 80.1Brookwood Elementary 83.5 79.1 85.7 65.3 69.8Cedar Ridge Elementary 73.2 78.8 82.0 78.8 72.5Euchee Creek Elementary 87.4 72.6 68.8 65.3 68.9Evans Elementary 88.3 86.3 86.8 82.6 81.4Greenbrier Elementary 90.4 88.2 83.4 85.9 88.5Grovetown Elementary 71.4 66.7 72.6 59.3 60.0Lewiston Elementary 87.1 85.8 81.3 81.6 84.0Martinez Elementary 89.8 88.0 86.4 91.0 80.3North Columbia Elementary 88.9 78.6 87.7 83.2 87.1North Harlem Elementary 74.9 69.9 60.0 63.2 63.1Parkway Elementary - - - - 83.3River Ridge Elementary 96.0 91.4 96.0 96.6 93.1Riverside Elementary 93.2 88.5 90.4 83.7 82.9South Columbia Elementary 80.1 70.7 79.4 74.9 67.1Stevens Creek Elementary 95.4 90.8 90.8 90.6 93.0Westmont Elementary 94.2 85.5 87.7 81.0 79.7County Elementary Score 85.1 81.0 84.0 82.3 77.3State Elementary Score 78.5 73.5 76.0 71.7 72.9

Columbia Middle 89.2 86.6 79.9 80.5 81.0Evans Middle 82.0 85.9 79.4 74.0 76.4Greenbrier Middle 93.8 92.1 82.8 90.9 90.5Grovetown Middle 81.1 76.0 79.1 72.4 67.7Harlem Middle 86.8 90.7 79.8 76.6 78.8Lakeside Middle 81.3 75.6 72.6 76.0 75.4Riverside Middle 89.7 89.3 84.8 86.0 87.2Stallings Island Middle 94.3 93.6 89.3 94.5 89.1County Middle School Score 84.4 83.7 80.3 78.6 77.9State Middle School Score 75.0 74.1 71.2 71.5 73.0

Evans High 81.9 76.1 79.0 83.7 87.1Greenbrier High 86.5 87.0 84.1 93.1 97.8Grovetown High 82.0 80.6 88.4 86.8 91.3Harlem High 80.8 80.7 83.0 85.3 76.7Lakeside High 84.6 82.6 84.1 92.0 88.4County High School Score 84.5 80.8 84.3 88.5 88.1State High School Score 72.0 68.7 75.8 73.6 77.0

County 85.3 82.5 83.2 83.3 81.7Georgia 75.8 71.9 75.5 73.6 75.0

College and Career Readiness Performance Index Scores

The College and Career Ready Performance Index – CCRPI – is Georgia’s annual tool for measuring how well its schools, districts, and the state itself are preparing students for the next educational level. It provides a comprehensive roadmap to help educators, parents, and community members promote and improve college and career readiness for all students. The CCRPI includes four main components: Achievement, Progress, Achievement Gap, and Challenge Points. These components, encompassing multiple indicators, are combined for a total CCRPI score on a scale of 0 to 100, with a possibility of 10 additional points. The CCRPI also reports other information, such as the performance of student subgroups, school climate, and financial efficiency status.

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School Climate Star RatingsSchool 2015 2016 2017

Baker Place Elementary 5 5 5Blue Ridge Elementary 5 5 5Brookwood Elementary 5 5 4Cedar Ridge Elementary 5 4 4Euchee Creek Elementary 5 5 5Evans Elementary 5 5 5Greenbrier Elementary 5 5 5Grovetown Elementary 5 5 4Lewiston Elementary 5 5 5Martinez Elementary 5 5 5North Columbia Elementary 3 4 5North Harlem Elementary 3 3 4Parkway Elementary -- -- 5River Ridge Elementary 5 5 5Riverside Elementary 5 5 5South Columbia Elementary 4 5 4Stevens Creek Elementary 5 4 5Westmont Elementary 5 5 5Columbia Middle 4 4 4Evans Middle 4 4 4Greenbrier Middle 4 4 4Grovetown Middle 5 4 4Harlem Middle 4 5 4Lakeside Middle 4 3 5Riverside Middle 5 4 4Stallings Island Middle 5 5 5Evans High 4 3 3Greenbrier High 4 4 4Grovetown High 4 3 3Harlem High 5 4 4Lakeside High 4 4 4

In response to the compelling body of research that underscores the importance of school climate, Georgia is the first state in the nation to include school climate as an early indicator in its academic accountability system, the College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI). State law (O.C.G.A. § 20-14-33) requires the development and use of a "star rating" to address school climate. The School Climate Star Rating is a diagnostic tool to determine if a school is on the right path to school improvement.

The School Climate Star Rating is calculated using data from the Georgia Student Health Survey 2.0, Georgia School Personnel Survey, Georgia Parent Survey, student discipline data and attendance records for students, teachers, staff and administrators.

Each school receives a 1-5 star rating, with five stars representing an excellent school climate, and one star representing a school climate most in need of improvement. Schools have access to a comprehensive report which allows them to identify areas in need of improvement, and plan targeted student interventions to improve achievement for all students.

AP Capstone™ is a College Board program that equips students with the independent research, collaborative teamwork, and communication skills that are increasingly valued by colleges. It cultivates curious, independent, and collaborative scholars and prepares them to make logical, evidence-based decisions. The program is comprised of two AP courses — AP Seminar and AP Research — and is designed to complement and enhance the discipline-specific study in other AP courses. Participating schools can use the AP Capstone program to provide unique research opportunities for current AP students, or to expand access to AP by encouraging students to master the argument-based writing skills that the AP Capstone program develops. AP Capstone was developed in response to feedback from higher education. The two AP Capstone courses, with their associated performance tasks, assessments, and application of research methodology, require students to:•Analyzetopicsthroughmultiplelensestoconstructmeaningorgainunderstanding;•Planandconductastudyorinvestigation; •Collaboratetosolveaproblem;and•Proposesolutionstoreal-worldproblems;•Integrate,synthesize,andmake•Planandproducecommunicationinvariousforms;cross-curricularconnections.

Advanced Placement Capstone Program Launched at Evans High School in August, 2017

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Students at Harlem High School built a Greenpower electric race car which raced at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 1, 2017 and won first place in the Formula 24 Advanced category! With the help of Mr. Mike Weiksner from Augusta Technical College, Harlem received an F24 electric car kit from the Siemens Corporation. Additionally, Textron donated $5000 in funding and engineering support. Harlem’s community partners created a great learning opportunity for the students, and a fantastic extension of the classroom. Harlem High students were thrilled with the opportunity to design, build, and race the car.

National Math + Science InitiativeThe National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) grant that has been helping Grovetown High School succeed with their Advanced Placement Program for the past three years, has now expanded to all four of our other high schools beginning in the 2017-2018 school year. The NMSI grant dramatically increases the number of students taking and earning qualifying scores on the Advanced Placement (AP) math, science and English exams while expanding access to rigorous coursework to traditionally underrepresented students.

The NMSI program empowers school communities through a comprehensive model that provides extensive training for teachers, more time on task for students, equipment and supplies to support rigorous STEM curricula and achievement-based awards. In just one year, the program boosts the number of AP qualifying scores in math, science and English in partner schools by ten times the national average. Among African-American and Hispanic students participating in the program, the increase in qualifying scores is more than six times the national average, and for female students, ten times the national average.

The Columbia County School Board has committed up to $750,000 over the next three years to support our high school students in this endeavor. NMSI and their sponsors have committed over $2.7 million to invest in our students during the same time frame. What a wonderful investment in our future!

Siemens Greenpower Electric Car Grants

Fort Gordon Adopt-a-School Program Fort Gordon initiated Adopt-a-School Partnerships with Columbia County Schools by assigning brigades to school clusters. The mission of this program is to routinely contribute military resources and services to schools in order to nurture the intellectual, emotional,

social and physical growth of children in the greater Fort Gordon area. Activities are conducted to increase public awareness of the Army’s mission and to foster good relations with the community. Fort Gordon soldiers volunteer their time for activities such as tutoring, coaching, sharing expertise and participating in special school events.

The Columbia County School District warmly welcomes this initiative and all of our military neighbors as they become involved in the lives of our students. We are thankful for their service to our country and to our schools.

Siemens and Greenpower also awarded grants for Goblin electric car kits for Martinez, River Ridge and NorthHarlem Elementary Schools.

Greenpower is dedicated to promoting engineering and technology to students between nine and twenty-five years of age. This is achieved through unique hands-on projects to design, build and race electric cars. This engineering challenge began in the United Kingdom. An international pilot is being run in the United States with plans to expand this project globally. As the title sponsor, Siemens is proud to support Greenpower in inspiring more students to become engineers.

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Student Support

For theDepartment of School Nutrition, food safety is a critical component. All schools ended the year with 100% on health inspections for the 2016-2017 school year. The Health Department works closely with us to help train our employees during Orientation for Nutrition Employees and In Service. All managers and fifty nutrition assistants are ServSafe certified. The School Nutrition Program continues to provide educational opportunities for all employees. This year, we provided training for ServSafe, Orientation for New Employees, Food Production, Menu Management, monthly managers’ meetings, and Annual In-Service. The percent participation for lunch was 52.6%, serving over 2.4 million meals. The percent participation for breakfast was 18%, serving over 599,000 breakfasts.

Our School Social Workers specialize in school social work, child welfare and educational policies. They strive to improve school attendance and educational outcomes for ALL children in the Columbia County School District by engaging families one-on-one, making home visits, leveraging community resources, providing counseling, and implementing crisis intervention. The school social workers facilitate mandated training on child abuse and neglect, suicide prevention, and McKinney-Vento homeless education. By collaborating with community stakeholders, the school social workers keep pertinent issues regarding education of children in the forefront.

The Department of School Safety provides numerous and diverse services to maintain the safety of all students, personnel and facilities. Our Safety Officers serve as liaison between the school district and local law enforcement agencies. Officers respond to all emergency situations occurring on campus and provide security at extra-curricular events. Officers are assigned to a “home” school and also a number of feeder schools in their cluster. Our Safety Officers attend juvenile, magistrate, and state courts, as well as local discipline hearings. Individual officers have taught CPR classes, assisted with mock accidents, conducted safety drills, and taught classes in alcohol and drug awareness. All officers maintain their Georgia POST certifications through annual training that keeps them abreast of changes in state law, current trends in law enforcement and skills training needed to ensure a safe and secure environment for our students. Our officers have more than 200 years of combined service in local, state, and federal law enforcement and more than 14,000 hours of specialized law enforcement, emergency management, security management and homeland security training. Many of our officers hold degrees in higher education.

The Transportation Department provided services to more than 16,000 students twice a day in the 2016-2017 school year. Our fleet of 300 meticulously maintained buses safely supported 171 regular and 46 special education routes driven each day, as well as 3000 school activity and field trips. Within a service area of 290 square miles, buses traveled 3,014,074 miles and used 525,003 gallons of diesel fuel. The staff of 214 route drivers, 25 full time reserve drivers, 46 special education aides and 5 bus monitors was supported by 10 department staff members and 11 mechanics.

The Department of School Health’s purpose is to promote the physical and emotional health of students and staff. School nurses are specialized professional nurses that advance the well-being, academic success, and life-long achievement of students. School nurses facilitate positive student responses to normal development, promote health and safety, intervene with actual and potential health problems, provide case management services, and actively collaborate with others to build student and family capacity for adaptation, self-management, self-advocacy, and learning. Vision, hearing and scoliosis screenings are very important health assessment tools. All third, fifth and seventh graders are screened for vision or hearing problems. All fifth grade girls and seventh grade boys and girls under go screening for scoliosis. Immunizations are an important part of students remaining healthy. PreK, kindergarten and seventh grader immunization records are audited by the State of GA Public Health Department annually. Columbia County School District is proud to have achieved a rating of 100%. School Nurses make this happen! The school nurses are American Heart Association instructors for CPR and first aid training for our school personnel. CCBOE has 668 employees that are AHA CPR certified: School Nurses make this happen!

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The Department of Technology continually strives to provide exceptional services to our students, faculty, and staff. This year, the district purchased over 1000 new PC’s and laptops, tablets, and a plethora of other mobile devices, continuing our goal to provide adequate technology for our students and teachers. Based on the current inventory, our system has achieved a 1.84 students per instructional device ratio. Additionally, many of our principals utilized school funds to purchase technology, such as HP Streams, document cameras, voice enhancement, flat panel LED televisions with connection to Apple TV, and myriad other technologies. Many of the older computers, which are replaced, are then redistributed to classrooms throughout the district to provide teachers extra resources for our students. Approximately 70 new interactive projectors were purchased and installed throughout our 31 schools, bringing interactive technology to 99% of our classrooms. This past year, the district upgraded the wireless infrastructure to the newest available standard (802.11AC) access/antenna. This wifi infrastructure upgrade provided one antenna per classroom/portable. In addition, all students in grades 4-12 were given access to Office 365, an online suite of Microsoft Office products, including the ability to download five copies of Microsoft Office to personal devices, all at no cost to students, family, or staff. Additionally, the district provided access to Google docs and online resources. To keep the flow of information and access to online resources accessible, our connection speed (bandwidth) between schools was upgraded to 40Gbps with 3.2Gbs to the internet, allowing faster response times, greater availability, and better overall access to the vast resources found on the Internet. All of these technologies provide our students with the greatest opportunity to achieve, excel, collaborate, and prepare for the global workforce of the future. iPads, interactive projectors, voice amplification systems, student response systems, wireless internet access, and so much more! Can anyone keep up with the wide variety of gadgets available for and in our classrooms today? Yes! Despite past financial constraints, our teachers and schools continue to move forward in the area of technology, helping to ensure that our students and their classrooms aren’t left behind by the ever-advancing world of technology and allowing our students to collaborate, engage, and explore the world outside the confines of our brick and mortar schools. In addition to the opportunity to bring their technology to school and to access the internet by way of our network, students and teachers have free access to online drive storage, five free copies of Microsoft Office for their personal devices, and free collaboration tools for teachers and students to interact electronically from anywhere at any time. All of this is available from the Microsoft Office365 portal and the Google for Education Platform.

Per Pupil Expenditure Columbia Co. Georgia

$7,798 $9,020

2010 $186,853,4602011 $195,478,933 2012 $185,914,8652013 $189,552,5972014 $192,808,6372015 $207,732,3272016 $219,264,7552017 $232,162,339

Actual Revenues

In 2016-2017, the Columbia County School District served approximately 26,757 students, with a total operating budget of $232,122,835. The State funding increased from prior years and there was continued growth in the tax digest, which allowed the school district to hire more teachers and support staff to reduce class sizes at or below state recommended class sizes.

ExpendituresSchool Operations 80.9%School Nutrition 4.8%Transportation 4.9%Maintenance 7.3%District Operations 2.1%

Strategic Plan Goal II:Maintain a balanced budget with fiscally responsible spending

Strategic Plan Goal VIII: Provide relevant, reliable technology to support instruction.

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Each of the eight middle schools offers core curriculum with the Georgia Standards of Excellence in Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. Eighth grade students have the opportunity to earn up to three high

school credits in Coordinate Algebra, Physical Science and either Band or Chorus. In addition to the four core areas, students also receive instruction in their career connections classes which include health and physical education, art, music, band, chorus, business and computer science, engineering and technology, and careers. Based on achievement results and academic need, students receive remediation, acceleration and enrichment activities during the daily Achievement Period. Students regularly participate in STEM projects during the period and in their STEM Blocks to increase 21st Century Skills and technological literacy.

Academics

Pre-Kindergarten

Elementary School

Middle School

Columbia County School District teachers design lessons using Georgia Standards of Excellence in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics, along with a complete set of K-12 standards for all other courses, that provide a consistent framework to help ensure students are college and career ready following high school graduation. These standards identify clear expectations for what students should know and be able to do at each grade level and in each subject. As our teachers implement this standards-based, world-class curriculum, Columbia County students excel and parents can rest assured that their children have 1) acquired the depth of knowledge and skills needed to ensure success in college and careers;2)encounteredhighexpectationsconsistentwithcollegesandworkforcesacrossournation,regardlessofchoiceofcollegeorjoblocation;and3)experiencedrelevantcontentandapplicationofknowledge through the use of high-order thinking skills.

The Georgia Pre-K Program is funded by the Georgia Lottery for Education. The goal of this program is to provide Pre-K children with outstanding learning experiences prior to entering

kindergarten in an environment that encourages them to have fun while they learn. Georgia’s Pre-K Program provides appropriate activities and learning experiences which are described in detail in Georgia’s Pre-K Program Content Standards located on the Bright from the Start website at http://decal.ga.gov/documents/attachments/Content_Standards_Full.pdf.

There are currently fourteen classes in eight elementary schools in Columbia County with a maximum class size of twenty-two students. A certified teacher instructs each class with the assistance of a paraprofessional. Because of limited enrollment opportunities, drawings for selection are held in the spring and waiting lists are maintained at the school sites throughout the year.

Our core curriculum reflects the Georgia Standards of Excellence in English-Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. These standards define what we teach and expect students to know. This

year new standards are being introduced in Social Studies and Science. Additionally, students receive enrichment in the areas of Music, Art, and Physical Education. Quality instruction ensures students’ mastery of key concepts. Students are afforded multiple opportunities for remediation or enrichment throughout the year based on results of rigorous classroom and state assessments. Progress is reported quarterly through standards-based report cards in kindergarten through second grade and a combination of letter and numerical grades for third through fifth grade. All schools participate in the School-wide Enrichment Model which affords students opportunities to apply skills through relevant and meaningful experiences based upon the students’ interests.

Special Services A full continuum of services are provided by Columbia County schools for students ages 3-21 with special needs. Special education services are provided for areas of exceptionality identified in the Georgia Rules and Regulations for Special Education and IDEA.

Students who are suspected of having a disability were referred by the Response to Intervention/Student Support Team for an evaluation. Young children who are referred by their parents are screened and considered for evaluation based on the screening results. After an evaluation is completed, eligibility for special education is determined based on Georgia Rules and Regulations and IDEA. If a student meets eligibility for special education, a committee reviews the student’s needs and develops an Individualized Education Program (IEP). The committee then considers placement options, moving from the least restrictive environment to the most restrictive environment.

When it is determined that a student who is receiving special education is in need of a support service to receive a Free Appropriate Public Education, related services are also provided by Columbia County schools. Support services such as assistive technology, physical and occupational therapy, and special transportation are provided.

Strategic Plan Goal I: Empower and Inspire All Students to Excel in a Global Society

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CTAE: Career, Technical, and Agricultural EducationThe Columbia County School District offers over twenty-five career pathways within five high schools. Every pathway has a state or national certification for students to take after successfully passing the three sequence courses in the pathway. Cyber Security, a pathway which provides students with skills greatly needed in today’s world, is now available in four of our high schools, Evans, Greenbrier, Grovetown, and Lakeside. Fort Gordon worked with all stakeholders to develop the Cyber Academy Pathway and was approved by the state board of education in January of 2015. In 2016-2017, Greenbrier High ranked first, second and third place in Georgia at the CyberPatriot Competition!

The Law Enforcement Services/Forensic Science pathway has been in high demand and is now offered in four high schools, Greenbrier, Grovetown, Harlem and Lakeside. Students from Grovetown High excelled at the National Law Enforcement Explorers Competition, with teams winning first, second and third place awards.

Courses such as JROTC, Health Science, STEM Engineering, Welding, Automotive Graphic Arts and Horticulture continue to attract students who take the courses for career paths. Because students may now broaden their knowlege thanks to the Seven Period Day schedule, many register for CTAE courses as electives.

Students enrolled in our five high schools have a wide variety of courses from which to choose as they work to earn a high school diploma.

A description of each course offered is provided in the Course Description Catalog available in each school’s guidance office or in the Academics section of the school district’s website. It is important to note that prior to graduating, all students must earn a total of twenty-three units including

•FourunitseachofEnglish,science,andmathematics•Threeunitsofsocialstudies•Threeormoreunitsofforeignlanguage*,CTAE,and/orfinearts;•Fourormoreunitsofadditionalelectives;and•Onehalfunitofhealthandonehalfunitofpersonalfitness.

*StudentsplanningtoenterortransferintoaUniversitySystemofGeorgiainstitutionmustcompleteatleasttwosequentialunits of the same foreign language.

In addition to the wealth of courses offered in our schools, students have the opportunity to participate in Move-On-When-Ready (MOWR), a program that allows eligible high school students to take required courses at an approved Georgia public or private post-secondary institution and earn both high school and college units of credit.

Lakeside High School is an official IB World School, with over 200 candidates from across the Columbia County School District. The International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme is a prestigious diploma track that reaches more than one million students worldwide. These students are prized by colleges and universities because their rigorous and balanced academic training prepares them for success.

IB candidates complete courses in Language and Literature, Language Acquisition, Individuals and Societies, Science, Mathematics, and the Arts. Focusing on writing and critical thinking skills, IB candidates learn to consider local and global contexts and to challenge assumptions. They learn to think independently and drive their own learning through the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) course, reflecting on the nature of knowledge, and on how we know what we claim to know. They write the Extended Essay (EE) based on independent research in a field of their own interest. They also complete the Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS) project, compelling students to demonstrate an applied interest in concepts learned in the IB Programme.

After an intensive two-year application process, Lakeside High School’s first official cohort began the IB Programme as Juniors in August, 2017.

Strategic Plan Goal I: Empower and Inspire All Students to Excel in a Global Society

High School

16

OUR EMPLOYEES AT A GLANCE

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Certified 1676 1668 1626 1740 1839 1880 1925Non-Certified 1370 1357 1287 1244 1333 1359 1393Total Employees 3046 3036 2913 2984 3172 3239 3318Total administrative/central office personnel 129 129 128 131 132 142 138National Board Certified Teachers 55 49 44 25 13 8 5Master Teachers 8 7 9 9 8 7 6Employees with Advanced Degrees 1240 1289 1287 1301 1355 1394 1407Beginning Teacher Salary

36,824 36,824 36,824 36,824 37,929 39,067 39,848Average Teacher Salary 56,787 56,924 56,323 55,850 55,654 58,949 59,115ETHNICITY OF TEACHERS African-American 5.5% 5.6% 5.6% 6.7% 7.5% 8.1% 8.57% Hispanic/Asian/Other 3.2% 3.2% 3.7% 5.0% 4.2% 4.7% 4.63% White 91.3% 91.2% 90.7% 89.3% 88.3% 87.2% 86.80%ETHNICITY OF ADMINISTRATORS African-American 11.8% 13.1% 12.9% 14.5% 14.4% 15.6% 15.73% Hispanic/Asian/Other 2.6% 1.5% 1.0% 0.8% 1.0% 2.0% 3.37% White 85.6% 85.4% 86.1% 84.7% 84.6% 82.4% 80.90%GENDER OF TEACHERS Male 16.1% 16.4% 16.9% 17.3% 16.8% 16.7% 17.45% Female 83.9% 83.6% 83.1% 82.7% 83.2% 83.3% 82.54%GENDER OF ADMINISTRATORS Male 34.2% 30.8% 31.1% 31.3% 31.3% 36.3% 31.46% Female 65.8% 69.2% 68.9% 68.7% 68.7% 63.7% 68.54%

Certified Personnel ExperienceYears of

ExperiencePK - 12

TeachersAdministrators

Less than 1 137 21-10 566 1611-20 449 55More than 30 63 16

Average 13 Years 20 Years

Highly Qualified Personnel

Farewell and

Best Wishes!

Mr. Don BrigdonDirector of Discipline and

School Climate

Ms. Sandra ThompsonPrincipal

Evans Middle School

Dr. Ja’net BishopPrincipal

Columbia County Alternative School

Ms. Karen FischerPrincipal

Blue Ridge Elementary School

Strategic Plan Goal II: Ensure a highly effective workforce.

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Thank youPartners in Education!

Donations from these businesses and individuals greatly supplement the programs and activities of our school district. We thank them for their

continuing support and urge you to patronize their businesses.

Diamond - $4000 or More1 Hour OpticalACHS InsuranceAT&TAugusta Coca-ColaBob Richards Automotive GroupChampion OrthopedicsClub CarColumbia County Foundation for ChildrenHille FoundationJefferson Energy Cooperative FoundationKimberly Clark FoundationMylan SpecialtyPapa John’s Pizza - N. BelairSeigler’s Karate CenterSiemensSouth State BankTaylor BMWTextronUniversity Health Services, Inc.

Platinum - $2000 to $3999Academy SportsAggregates USA - Dogwood QuarryBrandon WildeCarter Koenig PhotographyChick-Fil-A - Mullins CrossingChrist the King Lutheran ChurchD & M GraphicsExchange Club of Columbia CountyFarmers InsuranceGrace Baptist ChurchHarlem United Methodist ChurchKroger Co.Margaret Rodgers ScholarshipMeybohm RealtorsPapa Joe’s Banjo-B-QuePublix (#188) - EvansPublix - RiverwoodPublix Community GivingRack Room ShoesRon Carter State Farm InsuranceTravis GambleWesley United Methodist Church

Gold - $1000 to $1999AGC of Georgia FoundationAlphagraphicsCentral Church of ChristChilis - EvansCircle KColeman ConstructionColumbia County News-TimesDaniel C. Boyd, DMD PCEvans Fitness ClubGeorgia Power CompanyGold Cross EMSHarlem Baptist ChurchHindu Temple Society of AugustaIn Focus Church Industrial Dock & Door Co., LLCKroger - Lewiston RoadLouise LakeMarkco Electrical Services, LLCPapa John’s Pizza - Fury’s FerryPoythress and AssociatesRebecca Lynn BaldowskiSheppeard Community Blood CenterSonic #215Zaxby’s Restaurants

Silver - $500 to $999ATA Martial ArtsB/E Electrical ContractorsB&N Mechanical ContractorsBarberitos - A Southwestern Grille and CantinaBricks for KidzBudget Blinds of GrovetownCBH ConstructionChad FowersGeorgia Drywall, Inc.Gerald Jones VW/AudiHarlem Attic TreasuresJohn W. Spratlin and Son, LLCLadybug’s Flowers and GiftsM.B. Jones Oil, Inc.Marco’s Pizza - Washington RoadMathnasiumMobile MiniOffice MaxPeyton’s Deer ProcessingPollard Lumber CompanyPutt Putt Golf and GamesRush Administrative Services, Inc.

Silver - $500 to $999 - continuedSparkle Express Car WashTarget - EvansTransAmericaTwisted Indulgence Walmart Neighborhood Market - Evans to Locks RoadWest Lake Country ClubWoodmen of the World - MartinezWoodmen of the World - Harlem

Bronze - $250 to $4993 ChicksAbilene Baptist ChurchArts Anne CraftsAugusta Kawasaki/SuzukiBarney’s PharmacyBill JacksonBlanchard & Calhoun Real EstateCarter OrthodonicsChurch of the Holy ComforterColumbia County Chamber of CommerceColumbia County Farm BureauCres Hendrix Construction Co.Dairy Queen - Washington RoadDavis Medical GroupDentons U.S., LLPEdward C. Brown, CPA PCGary Beddingfield, Attorney at LawGeorgia Association of EducatorsHeritage HomesHome Depot - N. Belair RoadIDK Homes, Inc.Kiokee Baptist ChurchLaw Offices of David HugueninLiving Well PharmacyLowes Home Center - Bobby Jones ExpyLowes Home Center - EvansLula RoaManer Building SupplyMarco’s Pizza - Columbia RoadMastermind Escape GamesMedNow Urgent CareOverhead DoorParty N DollarPi Beta Phi Alumnae ClubPowell Baptist ChurchPublix (#187) - Fury’s Ferry RoadQueensborough BankRed Oak ManorShane’s Rib ShackSteed’s DairySteven Powell, D.M.D. Symphony Orchestra AugustaTop Nock ArcheryTrotter OrthodonicsUniversal Martial Arts DojoVex RoboticsWeinberger’s Office Supply, Inc.Willard Elem

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Georgia Milestone End of Course Assessment Performance SummarySpring 2017/ Spring 2016

Beginning Learner: Does not yet demonstrate proficiencyDeveloping Learner: Demonstrates partial proficiency Proficient Learner: Demonstrates proficiencyDistinguished Learner: Demonstrates advanced proficiency

District SAT Scores 2016-2017 to 2020-20212016-2017 2017-2018 2018-2019 2019-2020 2020-2021 Target

Mathematics 540 800Evidence-based Reading/Writing 558 800District Total 1098 1600State 1050 1600Nation 1070 1600

District SAT Scores 2011-2012 to 2015-20162011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 Target

Mathematics 511 506 508 512 517 800Verbal - Critical Reading 509 508 510 514 518 800

Writing 486 481 484 494 494 800Total 1506 1495 1502 1520 1529 2400

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9th Grade Literatureand Composition

AmericanLiterature

CoordinateAlgebra

AnalyticGeometry

District 8/11 28/34 53/46 11/10 9/13 27/32 47/39 17/16 8/7 34/33 45/47 13/13 9/9 31/34 44/42 16/16

State 16/23 31/36 43/34 10/7 19/24 33/33 37/32 12/11 30/32 39/37 25/25 6/6 32/30 35/38 25/26 8/7

Biology Physical Science

United States History

Economics

District 16/14 24/22 46/45 14/19 16/14 31/33 43/40 10/13 16/12 31/31 36/39 17/17 16/16 26/26 42/44 16/14

State 30/32 25/25 34/32 11/11 33/34 28/32 30/26 9/8 25/23 30/32 32/32 14/12 28/27 27/27 33/34 12/11

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Language Arts Math Science Social Studies

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Grade 3District 21/19 35/31 31/37 13/14 13/8 33/34 39/42 15/16 --/11 --/35 --/36 --/18 --/11 --/44 --/28 --/17

State 30/33 34/32 26/27 10/8 20/21 38/39 32/31 10/10 --/24 --/40 --/26 --/9 --/25 --/45 --/19 --/11

Grade 4District 15/16 31/34 35/38 19/12 8/10 31/38 43/39 18/13 --/18 --/39 --/33 --/10 --/17 --/35 --/36 --/12

State 27/30 32/34 28/26 13/9 18/20 38/39 33/30 11/10 --/29 --/38 --/25 --/8 --/30 --/36 --/26 --/9

Grade 5District 17/14 35/33 40/43 7/9 15/14 36/35 34/35 15/15 19/17 29/33 39/39 13/11 16/14 47/47 25/23 12/16

State 26/25 36/34 32/34 6/6 25/26 38/36 26/27 11/11 31/30 29/31 30/31 10/9 26/25 44/44 19/19 10/11

Grade 6District 20/19 30/30 41/41 10/10 14/15 39/36 35/39 13/10 --/23 --/32 --/41 --/5 --/17 --/39 --/27 --/16

State 30/32 30/29 32/32 8/7 24/25 38/37 28/29 10/9 /34 /27 /33 --/5 --/29 --/37 --/20 --/13

Grade 7District 20/15 35/33 37/43 8/9 12/10 34/32 34/33 20/25 --/20 --/28 --/38 --/14 --/14 --/37 --/30 --/20

State 29/27 35/34 30/33 6/6 22/24 36/34 26/26 15/16 --/33 --/28 --/28 --/11 --/26 --/36 --/24 --/15

Grade 8District 12/11 33/37 45/44 10/8 14/16 47/46 32/33 6/6 37/36 36/41 25/21 2/2 14/14 34/39 37/35 16/13

State 21/20 37/36 34/36 9/8 24/24 41/42 26/26 9/7 43/40 28/32 24/22 6/5 25/25 36/37 28/28 11/10

Georgia Milestone End of Grade Assessment Performance SummarySpring 2017/Spring 2016

Beginning Learner: Does not yet demonstrate proficiencyDeveloping Learner: Demonstrates partial proficiencyProficient Learner: Demonstrates proficiencyDistinguished Learner: Demonstrates advanced proficiencyScience and Social Studies tests were not administered to grades 3, 4, 6, and 7 in 2016-2017.

ACT Scores - Columbia County tied for 6th place in Georgia!2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017 Target

English 22.2 21.5 21.9 22.3 22.4 22.2 36Mathematics 23.0 22.1 22.3 22.1 22.6 22.5 36Reading 23.2 22.4 22.9 23.0 23.8 23.5 36Science 22.7 22.2 22.3 22.3 22.7 23.0 36Composite 22.9 22.2 22.5 22.5 23.0 22.9 36

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Strategic Goal I - Empower and Inspire All Students to Excel in a Global SocietyElementary Middle High

Data PointsTargets

2014 *CRCT 2015 (New

Baseline)

2016 2017 2018

CCRPI CONTENT MASTERY1.Increased percentage of students scoring at Developing Learner or higher on the Georgia Milestones ELA (Grades 3-5) *CRCT2014

94.8% (ELA)97.9 (RDG)

72.9% 74% 73.1%

2. Increased percentage of students scoring at Developing Learner or higher on the Georgia Milestones mathematics (Grades 3-5) *CRCT2014

91.7% 78.7% 79.5% 80.2%

3.Increased percentage of students scoring at Developing Learner or higher on the Georgia Milestones science (Grade 5) *CRCT2014

90.2% 75.8% 74.6% 74.6%

4. Increased percentage of students scoring at Developing Learner or higher on the Georgia Milestones social studies (Grade 5) *CRCT2014

91.4% 73.5% 73.9% 68.7%

5. Increased percentage of students scoring at Developing Learner or higher on the Georgia Milestones ELA (Grades 6-8) *CRCT2014

96.1 (ELA) 98.2 (RDG)

71.1% 73.4% 71.7%

6. Increased percentage of students scoring at Developing Learner or higher on the Georgia Milestones mathematics (Grades 6-8) *CRCT2014

92.3% 76.8% 79.1% 78.6%

7. Increased percentage of students scoring at Developing Learner or higher on the Georgia Milestones science (Grades 6-8) *CRCT2014

90.1% 68.0% 68.3% 68.4%

8. Increased percentage of students scoring at Developing Learner or higher on the Georgia Milestones social studies (Grades 6-8) *CRCT2014

92.9% 74.4% 75.3% 79.0%

9. Increased percentage of students scoring at Developing Learner or higher on the Georgia Milestones Ninth Grade Literature *EOCT2014

95.9% 65.6% 77.5% 83.4%

10. Increased percentage of students scoring at Developing Learner or higher on the Georgia Milestones American Literature *EOCT2014

96.6% 68.6% 79.3% 85.4%

11. Increased percentage of students scoring at Developing Learner or higher on the Georgia Milestones Coordinate Algebra *EOCT2014

57.4% 67.3% 79% 76.5%

12. Increased percentage of students scoring at Developing Learner or higher on the Georgia Milestones Analytic Geometry *EOCT2014

66.0% 77.2% 78.5% 77.5%

13. Increased percentage of students scoring at Developing Learner or higher on the Georgia Milestones Physical Science *EOCT2014

95.5% 53.5% 74.2% 72.4%

14. Increased percentage of students scoring at Developing LearnerorhigherontheGeorgiaMilestonesBiology*EOCT 2014

92.3% 80.7% 84.5% 79.4%

15. Increased percentage of students scoring at Developing Learner or higher on the Georgia Milestones US History *EOCT2014

83.4% 73.6% 80.6% 76.9%

16. Increased percentage of students scoring at Developing Learner or higher on the Georgia Milestones Economics *EOCT2014

88.6% 62.3% 75.1% 77.9%

The purpose of the Columbia County School District is to empower and inspire ALL learners to excel in a global society.

21

Strategic Goal I - Empower and Inspire All Students to Excel in a Global SocietyElementary Middle High

Data PointsTargets

2014 *CRCT

2015 (New

Baseline)

2016 2017 2018

Post (Elementary, Middle and High) School Readiness1. Increased percentage of English Learners with positive movement from one Performance Band to a higher Performance Band as measured by the ACCESS for ELLs

80.6% 84.8% 81.7% 76.9%

2. Increased percentage of Students With Disabilities served in general education environments greater than 80% of the school day

69.2% 72.4% 71% 74.7%

3. Increased percentage of students in grade 3 achieving a Lexile measure equal to orgreaterthan650ontheGeorgiaMilestones*CRCT2014

*76.4% 67.3% 64.2% 62.4%

4. Increased percentage of students in grade 5 achieving a Lexile measure equal to or greater than 850 on the Georgia Milestones*CRCT2014

*81.9% 78.6% 77.8% 82%

5. Increased percentage of students in grades 1-5 completing the identified number of grade specific career awareness lessons aligned to Georgia’s 17 Career Clusters

99.4% 100% 100% 100%

6. Percent of 5th grade students with a complete career portfolio by the end of grade 5

NA NA NA 100%

7.Increased percentage of students missing fewer than 6 days of school*Fewerthan 15 days 2014

*96.7% 58.7% 59.6% 55.7%

8. Increased percentage of English Learners with positive movement from one Performance Band to a higher Performance Band as measured by the ACCESS for ELLs

60.0% 50.0% 39.8% 70.5%

9. Increased percentage of Students With Disabilities served in general education environments greater than 80% of the school day

59.0% 56.3% 58.3% 67.4%

10. Increased percentage of students in grade 8 achieving a Lexile measure equal to or greater than 1050 on the Georgia Milestones*CRCT2014

*85.2% 80.1% 83.2% 81.9%

11. Increased percentage of students completing 2 or more state defined career related assessments/inventories and a state defined Individual Graduation Plan by the end of grade 8

99.9% 100% 100% 100%

12. Increased percentage of students missing fewer than 6 days of school *Fewerthan 15 days 2014

*96.3% 56.7% 57.8% 53.5%

13. Increased percentage of graduates completing a CTAE pathway, or an advanced academic pathway, or a fine arts pathway, or a world language pathway within their program of study

71.4% 78.35 84.3% 85.8%

14. Increased percentage of graduates completing a CTAE pathway and earning a national industry recognized credential (passing an end of pathway assessment) or an IB Career-Related Certificate

NA 56.6% 67.6% 66.1%

15. Increased percentage of graduates entering TCSG/USG not requiring remediationorlearningsupportcourses;orscoringprogramreadyontheCompass;orscoringatleast22outof36onthecompositeACT;orscoringatleast1550outof2400onthecombinedSAT;orscoring3orhigherontwoormoreAPexams;orscoring4orhigherontwoormoreIBexams

71.8% 72.4% 72.1% 76.4%

16. Increased percentage of graduates earning high school credit(s) for accelerated enrollment via ACCEL, Dual HOPE Grant, Move On When Ready, Early College, Gateway to College, Advanced Placement courses, or International Baccalaureate courses

55.2% 56.1% 61.5% 60.2%

17. Percent of graduates completing a career-related Work-Based Learning Program or career-related Capstone Project (includes IB projects)

NA NA NA 91.3%

18. Increased percentage of students achieving a Lexile measure greater than or equal to 1275 on the Georgia Milestones American Literature *CRCT2014

62.1% 65.7% 75.8% 78.7%

19. Increased percentage of students scoring at the highest performance level on all Georgia Milestones *CRCT2014

41.4% 47.2% 56.1% 57.3%

20. Increased percentage of students missing fewer than 6 days of school *Fewerthan 15 days 2014

95.7% 56.6% 56.5% 53.6%

22

Strategic Goal I - Empower and Inspire All Students to Excel in a Global SocietyElementary Middle High

Data PointsTargets

2014 *CRCT

2015 (New

Baseline)

2016 2017 2018

Predictor for High School Graduation/Graduation Rate1. Increased percentage of students scoring at the highest performance level on all Georgia Milestones

51.4% 50.6% 50.6% 51.1%

2. Increased percentage of students scoring at the highest performance level on all Georgia Milestones *CRCT2014

59.1% 51.1% 50.5% 51.9%

3. Four-Year Cohort Graduation Rate (%) 84.5% 87.6% 89.0% 89.5%

4. Five-Year Extended Cohort Graduation Rate (%) 82.2% 87.5% 89.3% 91.1%

Progress1. Increased percentage of students with SGPs meeting typical/high growth as measured by 4th and 5th grade Georgia Milestones *CRCT2014

61.3% 67.9% 64.5% 64.2%

2. Increased percentage of students with SGPs meeting typical/high growth as measured by 6th and 8th grade Georgia Milestones *CRCT2014

66.7% 67.1% 65.9% 65.2%

3. Increased percentage of students with SGPs meeting typical/high growth as measured by Georgia Milestones End of Course Assessments *EOCT2014

67.2% 66.9% 70.3% 71.4%

Achievement Gap1. Increased percentage of higher of gap size or gap change 60% 66.7% 66.7% 66.7%2. Increased percentage of higher of gap size or gap change 66.7% 66.7% 66.7% 66.7%

3. Increased percentage of higher of gap size or gap change 75% 66.7% 66.7% 66.7%

ED/EL/SWD Performance1. % Flag Count for ED/EL/SWD Meeting Subgroup Performance Target 66.7% 100% 100% 33.3%

2. % Flag Count for ED/EL/SWD Meeting Subgroup Performance Target 46.7% 75% 41.7% 25%3. % Flag Count for ED/EL/SWD Meeting Subgroup Performance Target 78.2% 88% 86.4% 66.7%

Total CCRPI Score + Exceeding the Bar1. Total score including challenge points 82.5 84 82.3 78.62. Total score including challenge points 84.6 80.3 78.6 79.23. Total score including challenge points 81.2 84.3 88.5 88.7

District CCRPI Score82.6 83.2 83.3 81.7

*ColumbiaCouontySchoolDistrictenteredintoaStrategicWaiversSchoolSystems(SWSS)PerformanceContractwith the State Board of Education. School districts that score in the top quartile are required to maintain a threshold based on the 2015-2016 CRCPI Score. The thresholds are as follows:

•ElementarySchools:76.8 •MiddleSchools:76.6 •HighSchools79.8

23

• At the start of the 2014-2015 school year, Columbia County hired seventeen Instructional Specialists to support learning throughout the district. These coaches worked with teachers during collaborative planning and throughout the day to provide job-embedded professional learning. Given the success of these positions, the district expanded this support to all eight middle schools in 2016-2017. High schools identified one teacher per content area to serve in this capacity for one period daily.

• Following a year of preparation and training, Columbia County School District proudly began the International Baccalaureate Program at the start of the 2017-2018 school year at Lakeside High School.

• Dual enrollment numbers continue to rise as partnerships strengthen among our colleges, universities, and high schools.

• Students participating in Work-based Learning is on the rise. In 2016-2017, twenty students participated in the program, working 10,666 hours and earning a total of $92,550.

• Students enrolled in at least one of the twenty-eight pathways numbered 5,951 and 891 students completed a pathway in FY2017.

• Five hundred ninety-seven students passed the End of Pathway Assessment and earned a state or national certification. Three students passed our Certification Security +, our newest cybersecurity assessment.

• The Greenbrier High School CyberPatriot teams won first, second and third place for the FY2017 state competition.

• Harlem High School Engineering students competed in the Greenpower Challenge in Indianapolis and placed first in their class in the Formula 24 Advanced Class and second place overall.

• In an effort to improve instruction for ESOL students, leaders continue to encourage teachers to participate in the ESOL endorsement training. In 2016-2017, eighteen teachers received the ESOL endorsement for a total of sixty ESOL endorsed teachers.

• ESOL students across the district are being served in their home schools for the first time, thus reducing travel time and increasing opportunities for additional instruction in the zoned school.

• At the start of the 2015-2016 school year, the CCSD added a Director of Digital Learning position to the staff to support digital learning in all schools. Additionally, one high school media specialist position was converted to an Instructional Technology Specialist position to provide support to high school teachers and students.

• As we continue to improve the use of technology in the classroom, the ratio of students per device continues to improve as the district and individual schools prioritize the purchase of devices. Currently the district has achieved a 1.84 student per device ratio.

• To foster critical thinking, Columbia County continues to increase the number of teachers earning the gifted endorsement. Currently, thirty-nine teachers are participating in the gifted endorsement classes and six hundred four teachers across the district have already earned the endorsement.

• As schools continue to incorporate SEM/STEM/STEAM strategies in our classrooms, students are given opportunities to participate in competitions across the state and nation. In the spring of 2016, we were excited to celebrate Lakeside Middle School earning our district’s first STEM certification.

• To assist students with communication and collaboration, senior students in Columbia County participate in a Capstone project that enables them to explore a career of their choice and present findings and finished products to a panel of community-based judges. This continues to be a very valuable experience for our students.

• Realizing the importance of regular attendance, schools encourage students to come to school daily. For the past five years, the district average daily attendance rate has been approximately 96%.

• Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) offers students opportunities to learn and practice positive behaviors that will lead to a strong work ethic. Currently, eighteen elementary schools and three middle schools are state recognized PBIS schools.

• Recognizing that high school graduation within four years is the ultimate goal for our district, we continue to increase the percentage of students that meet this goal. Over the past four years, we have increased 5% to our current graduation rate of 89.5%.

2017 Report of Strategic Plan ProgressStrategic Goal 1: Empower and Inspire all students to excel in a global society

24

2017 Report of Strategic Plan ProgressStrategic Goal II - Ensure a highly effective workforce

• To remain competitive and offer employees competitive compensation and benefits, the Columbia County Human Resources Department conducts an annual review of total benefits (total rewards program).

• Over the past three years, the percentage of highly qualified personnel has remained between 99.0 and 100%.• The Columbia County School District works diligently to retain highly qualified personnel. Though the

retention rate decreased minimally over the past three years (>1%), the rentention rate remains high at 91.6%.• According to entrance and exit surveys, Columbia County employees report a 97.9% satisfaction rate for those

entering the district and a 92.5% satisfaction rate for those exiting the district.• To provide a quality and meaningful induction experience, CCSD has developed an induction program that

spans the first three years of a new teacher’s career. Through partnership with Augusta University, teachers participating in this program are eligible to receive six hours of post-graduate credit. This program was highlighted at the New Teacher Center in San Francisco, California and at the Induction Summit in Macon, Georgia.

• In addition to providing mentors to new teachers, CCSD recognizes the importance of mentoring leaders. We provide mentoring services for the first two years in the role of principal, as well as LEAD classes for new administrators across the district.

• The Teacher and Leader Keys Effectiveness System continues to provide comprehensive feedback to employees to foster reflection and growth. Leaders at both the district and school level fully implement this comprehensive evaluation program each year.

• The CCSD earned a 4.5 Financial Efficiency Star Rating from the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement with the 16th lowest efficiency rating in the state.

• Each year, FTE reports indicate the district’s ability to maximize funding in all areas.• Even in economically challenging years, the CCSD has maintained a year-end balance with reserves at 15% or

greater.• The millage rate was maintained at 18.3 for the current fiscal year.• The external audit reports continue to highlight the excellent service provided by the business department with

zero findings.

Strategic Goal III - Maintain a balanced budget with fiscally responsible spending.

2017 Report of Strategic Plan ProgressStrategic Goal IV - Provide safe, clean, and well-maintained facilities.

• The CCSD continues to provide state-of-the-art buildings for students and teachers. This year, we opened two new beautiful facilities in Grovetown and Harlem. A new North Harlem Elementary is currently under construction and scheduled to open in the 2019-2020 school year.

• Annual reports indicate that at least 95% of work orders are completed in seven days or less.• Preventative maintenance work orders are completed according to their established schedules, which keeps our

buildings and grounds in excellent shape.

Strategic Goal V - Provide safe and orderly transportation

• Although the goal of the transportation department is zero bus accidents, reports show a slight increase from forty-four accidents to fifty-nine with fifteen of those being “no fault” accidents.

• The transportation department works diligently to provide transportation to and from school in a timely manner. As a result, reports indicate an increase from 82% to 90% on-time arrival rate for the 2016-2017 school year.

• Bus drivers understand the importance of excellent attendance and reported an attendance rate of 93%.

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2017 Report of Strategic Plan ProgressStrategic Goal VI - Provide nutritious meals to students to prepare students for learning• An on-going goal of the nutrition department is to increase breakfast and lunch participation among adults

and students. Due to an emphasis on presentation, quality of food, and a friendly welcoming environment, breakfastparticipationhasincreasedfrom594,875mealsservedto599,205mealsserved;lunchparticipationhas increased from 2,346,144 meals served to 2,408,492.

• To provide nutritious meals to families in need, CCSD participated in the summer meal program and served 3,215 lunches in targeted areas of the county. Although we did not serve as many as we hoped, we will continue to look for ways to increase participation in the coming year.

Strategic Goal VII - Provide a safe, orderly, inviting environment in which all students can learn.

• Each school maintains Safety Plans to include monthly safety drills.• Climate rating scores continue to rise for schools across the district. Fifteen schools earned five star ratings,

fourteen earned four star ratings and two schools earned three star ratings.

Strategic Goal VIII - Provide relevant, reliable technology to support instruction and the district.

• CCSD upgraded the wireless infrastructure to the newest available standard (9802.11AC) access/antenna, providing one antenna per classroom/portable.

• All students in grades four through twelve were given access to Office 365 and many classrooms also utilize Google online resources, including Google classroom.

• The connection speed between schools was upgraded to 40 Gbps with 3.2 Gbs to the internet, allowing faster response times, greater availability, and better overall access.

• Schools are equipped with iPads, interactive projectors, voice amplification systems, student response systems, and more.

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The purpose of the Columbia County School District is to empower and inspire ALL learners to excel in a global society.

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We LEARN:

Lead by example

Expect all to succeed

Achieve excellence through engaging experiences

Respect and value each other

Now and tomorrow

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Family

Involvement

Improves Education