07.22 APS to Continue Academic Recovery Strategy Following Release of Georgia Milestones Data

ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Office of Communications and Public Engagement
130 Trinity Avenue SW | Atlanta, Georgia 30303

Seth Coleman, Director of Media
404-802-2891, office
404-406-5570, cell
seth.coleman@atlanta.k12.ga.us

Jasmine Mosley, Media Relations Manager
404-802-2888, office
jasmine.mosley@atlanta.k12.ga.us

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE               
July 22, 2021

ATLANTA – Atlanta Public Schools will continue implementing its academic recovery plan, part of the district’s overall strategy to increase student growth and achievement, considering results from the 2021-2022 Georgia Milestones student assessment released today by the Georgia Department of Education.   

Scores indicate 31.2% of APS students in grades 3-8 scored proficient or above in English Language Arts (ELA) and 26% scored proficient or above in Math.    

“While our teachers and students worked extremely hard last year under challenging circumstances, we expected these outcomes,” APS Superintendent Dr. Lisa Herring said. “We know we have work to do but we have strategies in place to support our students from a whole-child perspective, and we will be using this year’s data as a baseline and a way to guide our progress towards future success.”   

Academic Recovery Plan 

At the beginning of last school year (2021-2022), APS began implementing a three-year academic recovery plan through the 2023-2024 school year to address lost learning opportunities due to the pandemic. It features: 

• School-Based Intervention Class/Block/Course  
• August 2021 - May 2024 
• Elementary School: 30 extra minutes in class 
• Middle School: 45 extra minutes, four days each week (a block, ELA or Math class) 
• High School: 90 extra minutes, four days each week (a class or course only for students identified for intervention) 
• Summer Academic Recover Academy (ARA) 
• June 2021 - June 2023 
• Full day sessions for elementary and middle school students 
• Focus on literacy and math, with enrichment activities in the afternoon 
• Credit recovery for high school students 
• Comprehensive Assessment System 
• On going  
• K-12 universal screener for academics and behavioral health 
• Student progress monitoring tools 
• Formative assessments  

Overall Academic Strategy: The APS 5 

APS is focusing on five measurable methods to guide its academic strategy, based around the district’s five-year strategic plan:  Data, Curriculum and Instruction, Whole-Child Intervention, Personalized Learning, and Signature Programing.  

• In 2021-2022, the district established structures and deployed resources to support the academic strategy equitably in all schools. 
• In 2022-2023, the district will focus on effective implementation of and support for the academic strategy, and monitor the plan’s progress through the use of district and state data. 
• In 2023-2024, the district will continue monitoring the plan’s progress, assessing, reviewing and making any adjustments based on the data.   

“We are aware of the obstacles our students faced, even prior to the pandemic, that have an impact on academic performance,” Dr. Herring said. “But we will take this data and use it to move forward. We are positioned to fully embrace this challenge and will continue to hold ourselves accountable and maintain high expectations for our students, as we prepare them for college and career.”   

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About Atlanta Public Schools

Atlanta Public Schools is one of the largest school districts in the state of Georgia, serving approximately 50,000 students across 87 schools and five programs. The District is organized into nine K-12 clusters with 64 traditional schools, 19 charter schools, six partner schools, two alternative schools and five alternative programs. To learn more about Atlanta Public Schools, follow us on social media – Twitter (@apsupdate), Facebook (Atlanta Public Schools), and Instagram (apsupdate) – or visit us online at www.atlantapublicschools.us.