Media release from Rome, GA City Schools:
Rome City Schools students showed growth in Math and English Language Arts as well as Social Studies and Science Georgia Milestones End-of-Grade and End-of-Course tests, with significant gains in some grades and subjects.
The test results are for the most recent school year, 2024-2025.
“We continue to see solid growth in our students at Rome City Schools. But this isn’t just showing on one test. It shows when I visit classrooms and see the amazing work our teachers and students are doing every day,” Rome City Schools Superintendent Dr. Eric L. Holland said. “I’m proud of the effort being put forth, and I look forward to continuing to see our students grow.”
The district saw success in math at almost every grade level. Fourth through eighth grades all increased their scores from last year. The most notable increases were in fourth grade with an 11 percent increase and sixth grade with a 10 percent increase.
This was the second year of implementing the new Georgia Math standards, using the Department of Education Math Learning Plans. Rome City Schools math teachers and interventionists, with the support of our Math Coaches, worked strategically, focusing on instructional strategies and data analysis to improve student performance.
The success in Math mirrored other state schools following the implementation of Georgia’s new K-12 Mathematics Standards during the 2023-2024 school year.
“Seeing such strong and consistent gains in mathematics, even following significant increases the year prior, speaks to the quality of our new, Georgia-grown math standards,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “The results are clear, and I look forward to seeing similar gains in English Language Arts as we begin the new standards implementation process this school year and continue to roll out reading supports tied to early literacy legislation.”
In ELA, Rome City Schools fourth graders and sixth graders both scored well, with fourth graders showing an eight percent increase and sixth graders showing a six percent increase.
Rome City Schools has prioritized improving literacy rates and implemented several key strategies to accomplish this goal. The district implemented literacy coaches and interventionists at every school, adopted high-quality instructional materials for K-6, and collaboratively developed a Literacy Compass to help guide the work. To support adolescent literacy, a literacy curriculum, Amplify ELA, was also adopted for Rome Middle School, and Rome High School is implementing a secondary literacy curriculum in ninth and tenth grade.
Rome City Schools has also identified areas where growth is needed. Proficiency rates remained the same for all science and U.S. History scores. Through data analysis and with feedback from leaders and teachers, the district approved additional instructional resources, professional learning, and support personnel, including hiring a Director of Secondary Curriculum and Instruction and an Instructional Support Specialist, to focus on improving these areas.
While there are many high-quality resources available, Rome City Schools believes that our teachers, academic coaches, and interventionists are the most important resource for our students. Our Teaching, Leading, and Learning department will continue to partner with school leaders to collaboratively plan ongoing staff development to increase professional knowledge, identify key support structures, provide resources that support effective literacy practices, as well as conduct instructional vision walks at each school to see the innovative ways our teachers are educating students.
The focus on improving literacy rates and student achievement across all schools for all students in RCS will continue to be a system-wide effort that engages our district and school staff, parents, and community to support our Strategic Growth Plan. We understand the power of collaboration and being reflective to better support our students and staff. We also understand the importance of the work we do, and believe that we’re on the right track because of the hard work of our teachers, support staff, leaders, and staff.
The state is also focusing on literacy with several key initiatives during the 2025-2026 school year that are expected to have a positive impact on ELA and reading achievement in the coming years:
- Establishing Training and Screening: For the first time, all K-3 teachers started the current school year trained in research-based structured literacy, and school districts had access to a free universal literacy screener, which is part of the continued implementation of the Georgia Early Literacy & Dyslexia Act.
- Implementing New Standards: Georgia’s new K-12 English Language Arts standards, which embed the Science of Reading, are being rolled out in all Georgia classrooms this school year.
- Expanding the State’s Top Screener: GaDOE is partnering with the state’s free universal screener provider to expand professional learning opportunities statewide for districts moving to adopt the resource. The free screener, Amira Learning, was recommended by the Sandra Dunagan Deal Center for Early Language and Literacy and approved by the Georgia Council on Literacy, with funding for school district use provided by the Georgia legislature.
- Committed to Coaching: GaDOE will continue placing school-level literacy coaches in the highest-need elementary schools in the state – an intervention that produced a 15 percent improvement in student reading in just one year of implementation as measured by universal screeners, and with some grade-level reading gains on Georgia Milestones as high as 29 percentage points. In partnership with Amira Learning, GaDOE will pair its literacy coaching model with additional student tutoring and professional development for the highest-need schools adopting the free screener.
Students take Georgia Milestones End of Grade (EOG) tests in grades 3-8, and Georgia Milestones End of Course (EOC) tests in identified high school courses. The Georgia Milestones Assessment System meets the federal requirement that the states test students in math and ELA in grades 3-8, once in high school, and in science once per grade band (3-5, 6-9, 10-12).
Georgia Milestones assesses student learning along four levels of achievement: Beginning Learners, Developing Learners, Proficient Learners, and Distinguished Learners.
“I want to commend Georgia’s teachers, school districts, and the GaDOE Teaching & Learning team who are working diligently across the state to roll out new math and ELA standards, and to adopt instructional strategies aligned with the Science of Reading,” Superintendent Woods said. “These efforts, led in partnership with the State Board of Education, the Georgia General Assembly, the Georgia Council on Literacy, the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement, and our Regional Educational Service Agencies will impact Georgia’s students for generations to come.”
