Bartow Schools: Poor Academic Performance Despite Massive Revenue Hikes.
The more taxes go up, the more the mediocrity continues.
By David McKalip, M.D.
The Bartow School System and most of the Board likes to claim that they need annual massive property tax hikes to run the schools. They state that without these massive revenue hikes, that the kids would not get the education they need. They love to fear-monger about how the education of children would suffer without the massive tax hikes. Because, well you know, it is all about the children.
Well, the tax and revenue hikes are clearly not at all about the success of the children in the Bartow County School System.
Analysis of academic performance at the Bartow County Schools reveals that the academic performance at the schools remains mediocre. Even with the massive revenue hikes. The majority of kids educated in the school system appear to be moved into the next grade level without being ready to do so!
Only about 25-35% of students routinely meet the “proficient” standard on the Georgia Milestones test. About 60-65% % of students in the Bartow County School system are below or well-below performance expectations for their grade level.
Today, the Bartow Freedom Coalition Blog launches a series to expose the many failures of academic performance in the Bartow County School System.
Georgia Milestones Evaluation
Standardized testing for students from the 3rd grade to the 12th grade in the “Georgia Milestones” program reveal very poor performance for years at the Bartow County School System. The Milestones program evaluates a variety of subjects including “English Language Arts”, “Mathematics”, “Science and “Social Studies”.
Based on test scores, students are placed into the Four Categories.
Beginning Learners do not yet demonstrate proficiency in the knowledge and skills necessary at this grade level/course of learning, as specified in Georgia's content standards. The students need substantial academic support to be prepared for the next grade level or course and to be on track for college and career readiness.
Developing Learners demonstrate partial proficiency in the knowledge and skills necessary at this grade level/course of learning, as specified in Georgia's content standards. The students need additional academic support to be prepared for the next grade level or course and to be on track for college and career readiness.
Proficient Learners demonstrate proficiency in the knowledge and skills necessary at this grade level/course of learning, as specified in Georgia's content standards. The students are prepared for the next grade level or course and to be on track for college and career readiness.
Distinguished Learners demonstrate advanced proficiency in the knowledge and skills necessary at this grade level/course of learning, as specified in Georgia's content standards. The students are well prepared for the next grade level or course and to be on track for college and career readiness.
Poor Performance at the Bartow School System
This blog will be presenting results in each category as part of this series. However, the following conclusions are emerging already:
The results routinely show that most students are not performing up to expectations to advance to the next grade level.
Only about 25-35% of students routinely meet the “proficient” standard on the Georgia Milestones test.
About 60-65% of students in the Bartow County School system are below or well-below performance expectations for their grade level.
Despite massive increases in spending at least since 2018, performance is remaining unchanged since 2014.
The graphic of combined performance of Poor Performers (“Beginning” and “Developing” Learners) vs Good Performers ("Proficient” and “Distinguished”) shows that Students in the Bartow County School system are more likely to be below acceptable performance than at or above an acceptable performance.
Even when the numbers seem to improve, they numbers meeting expectation is still below 50% of the total student population. Why?
What is worse, despite years of “more resources” (more money), the number of “proficient learners” has barely budged. In English Language Arts, the numbers are still just 28-30% as “proficient” over ten years.
(note: the main year for Covid does not have data as the testing was suspended for that year (2019-2020).
As spending and taxation has gone up since 2018 (no older data available at this time), performance has remained flat.
It is time to change the Bartow School system and that will mean a new Board that focusses on student performance first and not revenue.
Stay tuned for more analysis.