Cherokee Tribune
06/03/2009
staff reports

The Cherokee County School District scored highest in metro Atlanta and third-highest statewide on the Georgia High School Graduation Test.

Results released this week show the district scored ahead of 181 other school systems in Georgia on the mandatory test.

Of the 1,897 Cherokee County juniors who took the graduation-qualifying test, 94 percent passed on the first attempt in all four subject areas: language arts, mathematics, science and social studies

Statewide, the average passing rate was 80 percent.

Both of the two systems scoring ahead of Cherokee are much smaller – Trion City, which tested 84 students, saw a 95-percent passage rate, and Schley County, which tested 76 students, saw a 96-percent passage rate.

“We are extremely proud of the hard work being done by our administrators, teachers, and especially, our students and parents, to achieve this outstanding ranking,” Cherokee County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank Petruzielo said.

In specific subjects statewide, the district ranked No. 2 in social studies, No. 3 in language arts and science and No. 4 in math.

The district last month released its own scores, which showed increases across the board.

The percentage of regular education (not including special education and limited English) students that passed the language arts portion was 98, up from 96; math was 99, up from 90; social studies was 98, up from 94; and science was 98, up from 95.