HCS Shows Districtwide Growth in Majority of Key Metrics on 2024-2025 Georgia Milestones Assessments

HENRY COUNTY, GA – Henry County Schools students demonstrated meaningful progress on the 2024-2025 Georgia Milestones assessments, according to data released today by the Georgia Department of Education. Districtwide, scores increased in 20 of the 27 key metrics, accelerating growth at a rate outpacing the state of Georgia in 17 key metrics.

Most notably, the percentage of students reading on grade level increased in six of seven tested grades, highlighting the significant impact of the district’s Henry Reads campaign, a districtwide initiative launched in school year 2024-2025 to boost reading proficiency across all grades and content areas. 

Board of Education investments in literacy professional development for school leaders, instructional coaches, and teachers – particularly focused on the science of reading – as well as high-quality instructional materials for grades K-12 preceded this year’s gains in reading on grade level.

The largest reading improvements came in third grade (6 percentage points), fourth grade (5 percentage points), and seventh grade (5 percentage points).

Additionally, gains in students scoring proficient or above in math and science signal the district’s provision of robust STEM education, including investments in professional development, equipment, and resources, for all students.

Elementary schools saw strong improvements of 4 percentage points each in third-grade math, fourth-grade math, and fifth-grade science, while middle schools saw gains of 6 percentage points in eighth-grade science and 5 percentage points each in sixth-grade math and seventh-grade math, respectively. High school biology saw a 1-percentage-point increase, while algebra remained steady.

“Districtwide improvements in academic performance reflect strategic investments by our Board of Education and the tireless dedication of our teachers and leaders,” said Superintendent Dr. John Pace III. “Initiatives such as our Henry Reads campaign have helped to boost reading proficiency across all grades and content areas. Gains in math and science signal our commitment to providing a robust STEM education for all students in all grades. In promising a high-quality, world-class education, we seek to provide students with every opportunity for success, assuring our community that bright futures begin in Henry County Schools.”

“Our students’ academic growth reflects the dedicated support of district and school-level leaders, families, and our community,” added Board Chair Sophe Pope (Dist. 4). “I am proud of our students for their hard work and grateful for our teachers who inspire students every day to realize their full potential.”

 Georgia Milestones Assessment System

The Georgia Department of Education released state, system, and individual school scores for spring and full-year administrations of the Georgia Milestones Assessment System on Aug. 8 for both End-of-Grade (EOG) and End-of-Course (EOC) assessments. EOG scores report on student performance in grades 3-8, while EOC scores report on student performance in four different high school courses. 

The Georgia Milestones assess student learning along four levels of performance for each subject area tested: beginning, developing, proficient, and distinguished learners. The goal for every student is to score at the proficient or above level in all subject areas. Additionally, students taking an English Language Arts assessment receive a score related to reading below or on/above grade level.

District Highlights Summary

HCS saw increases in the percentage of students scoring proficient or above in elementary school science (+4), math (+4), ELA (+1); middle school science (+6) and math (+3); high school physical science (+1), biology (+1), and U.S. history (+1).

All elementary schools improved in at least one of the tested metrics. Districtwide, the most significant gains were achieved in reading in third grade (+6) and fourth grade (+5). Other gains over 2024 included 4-percentage-point increases in third-grade math, fourth-grade math, and fifth-grade science, respectively, as well as a 4-percentage-point increase in fourth-grade ELA.

All middle schools saw an increase in at least three of the tested metrics. Most notably, eighth-grade science improved by 6 percentage points, sixth- and seventh- grade math by 5 percentage points, respectively, and seventh-grade ELA by 3 percentage points.

Eleven of 12 HCS high schools maintained or saw an increase in at least one tested metric.

School-Level Highlights Summary

The following schools earned achievement levels higher than state averages: 

• Austin Road Middle: HS physical science (77%), algebra (90%)
• Bethlehem Elementary: third-grade reading (67%)
• Dutchtown Elementary: third-grade reading (71%), fourth-grade reading (63%), fifth-grade reading (74%), third-grade ELA (41%), third-grade math (45%)
• Dutchtown Middle: seventh-grade reading (71%), HS physical science (58%), algebra (70%)
• Dutchtown High: American Literature reading (72%) and ELA (42%), US history (40%)
• Eagle’s Landing Middle: algebra (71%)
• East Lake Elementary: third-grade reading (77%), fourth-grade reading (70%), fifth-grade reading (85%), third-grade ELA (51%), fourth-grade ELA (47%), fifth-grade ELA (58%), third-grade math (60%), fourth-grade math (75%), fifth-grade math (53%), fifth-grade science (50%)
• Flippen Elementary: third-grade ELA (36%)
• Hampton Middle: sixth-grade reading (60%), seventh-grade reading (70%)
• Hampton High: US history (40%)
• Impact Academy Middle: sixth-grade reading (79%), seventh-grade reading (79%), eighth-grade reading (78%), sixth-grade ELA (52%), seventh-grade ELA (45%), algebra (100%), HS physical science (81%)
• Impact Academy High: American Literature reading (71%)
• Locust Grove Elementary: fifth-grade reading (75%)
• Locust Grove Middle: algebra (73%)
• Luella Elementary: third-grade reading (71%), third-grade ELA (38%)
• Luella Middle: algebra (47%)
• McDonough Middle: algebra (48%)
• New Hope Elementary: third-grade reading (75%), fourth-grade reading (60%), fifth-grade reading (78%), third-grade ELA (40%), fourth-grade ELA (47%), fifth-grade ELA (51%), third-grade math (46%), fourth-grade math (52%), fifth-grade math (46%), fifth-grade science (52%)
• Ola Elementary: third-grade reading (69%), fourth-grade reading (61%), fifth-grade reading (76%), third-grade ELA (36%), fourth-grade math (52%)
• Ola Middle: seventh-grade reading (79%), eighth-grade reading (76%), eighth-grade ELA (45%), sixth-grade math (46%), algebra (93%), eighth-grade science (36%), HS physical science (72%)
• Ola High: American Literature reading (75%) and ELA (47%), algebra (58%), biology (55%), and US history (44%)
• Red Oak Elementary: third-grade reading (68%)
• Rock Spring Elementary: third-grade reading (67%), fourth-grade reading (58%), fifth-grade reading (80%), fifth-grade ELA (45%), fifth-grade science 47%)
• Rocky Creek Elementary: third-grade reading (71%), fourth-grade reading (59%), third-grade ELA (36%), fourth-grade ELA (45%), third-grade math (45%)
• Stockbridge Middle: algebra (56%)
• Timber Ridge Elementary: fourth-grade reading (62%), fifth-grade reading (82%), fourth-grade ELA (40%), fifth-grade ELA (58%), fourth-grade math (54%), fifth-grade math (64%), fifth-grade science (52%)
• Union Grove Middle: sixth-grade reading (68%), seventh-grade reading (82%), eighth-grade reading (83%), sixth-grade ELA (48%), seventh-grade ELA (58%), eighth-grade ELA (49%), sixth-grade math (44%), seventh-grade math (55%), eighth-grade math (57%), algebra (89%), eighth-grade science (31%), HS physical science (59%), eighth-grade social studies (46%)
• Union Grove High: American Literature reading (79%) and ELA (51%), algebra (49%), biology (60%), and US history (51%)
• Unity Grove Elementary: fifth-grade reading (73%), fourth-grade math (50%)
• Woodland Middle: seventh-grade reading (73%) and algebra (55%)

School growth highlights included: 

• Austin Road Elementary had a 22-percentage-point increase in third-grade reading and a 10-percentage-point gain in fifth-grade science. 
• Austin Road Middle had increases in all grade levels for math (12-percentage-point increase in seventh-grade math and 28-percentage-point increase in algebra) and increases in both eighth-grade science and HS physical science (44-percentage-point increase in HS physical science). 
• Bethlehem Elementary had a 16 percentage-point increase in third-grade reading, a 19-percentage-point increase in third-grade ELA, and a 24-percentage-point increase in third-grade math.
• Cotton Indian Elementary had a 16-percentage-point increase in third-grade reading and a 16-percentage-point increase in fourth-grade math.
• Dutchtown Elementary had increases in all grade levels for reading (13-percentage-point increase in fourth grade) and all grade levels for math (15-percentage-point increase in fifth grade). 
• Dutchtown Middle had a 10-percentage-point increase in sixth-grade math and a 10-percentage-point increase in seventh-grade math. 
• Dutchtown High had increases in both reading and ELA. 
• East Lake Elementary had increases in all tested metrics, including a 14-percentage-point increase in third-grade reading, a 12-percentage-point increase in fourth-grade reading, an 11-percentage-point increase in third-grade ELA, a 14-percentage-point increase in fifth-grade ELA, and a 20-percentage-point increase in fourth-grade math.
• Eagle’s Landing Middle had increases in all grade levels for math (33-percentage-point increase in algebra) and increases in both eighth-grade science and HS physical science (23-percentage-point increase in HS physical science). 
• Eagle’s Landing High had increases in both reading and ELA, as well as algebra and U.S. history. 
• Excel Academy Middle had a 10-percentage-point increase in eighth-grade reading and increases in all grade levels for math.
• Excel Academy High had increases in ELA and algebra. 
• Fairview Elementary had increases in all grade levels for reading. 
• Flippen Elementary had increases in all grade levels for reading, a 16-percentage point increase for 5th grade math, and an 11-percentage-point increase in fifth-grade science. 
• Hampton Elementary had increases in all grade levels for reading (10-percentage-point increase in fourth-grade reading), a 10-percentage-point increase in fourth-grade ELA, a 12-percentage-point increase in third-grade math, and a 12-percentage-point increase in fourth-grade math. 
• Hampton Middle School had a 14-percentage-point increase in sixth-grade reading, a 13-percentage-point increase in seventh-grade reading, a 13-percentage-point increase in seventh-grade ELA, a 12-percentage-point increase in algebra I, and increases in both eighth-grade science and HS physical science (14-percentage-point increase in HS physical science). 
• Hampton High had an 11-percentage-point increase in U.S. History, as well as increases in algebra and biology.
• Hickory Flat Elementary had an 11-percentage-point increase in fourth-grade math. 
• Locust Grove Elementary had a 13-percentage-point increase in fourth-grade reading, a 12-percentage-point increase in fourth-grade ELA, and a 12-percentage-point increase in fifth-grade science. 
• Locust Grove Middle had increases in all grade levels for math, including an 11-percentage-point increase in algebra. 
• Locust Grove High had increases in both reading and ELA. 
• Luella Elementary had a 21-percentage-point increase in third-grade reading, an 18-percentage-point increase in third-grade ELA, and a 22-percentage-point increase in third-grade math.
• Luella Middle had a 16-percentage-point increase in algebra and increases in both eighth-grade science and HS physical science. 
• McDonough Middle had a 10-percentage-point increase in seventh-grade ELA, increase in all grade levels for math (21-percentage-point increase in algebra), and increases in both eighth-grade science and HS physical science.
• McDonough High had increases in reading and U.S. history.
• Mount Carmel Elementary had a 10-percentage-point increase in third-grade ELA.
• New Hope Elementary had increases in all grade levels for ELA, all grade levels for math, and an 11-percentage-point increase in fifth-grade science. 
• Oakland Elementary had a 20-percentage-point increase in third-grade reading, a 15-percentage-point increase in third-grade ELA, and a 22-percentage-point increase in third-grade math.
• Ola Elementary had a 15-percentage-point increase in fifth-grade science.
• Ola Middle had a 13-percentage-point increase in sixth-grade math.
• Ola High had increases in algebra and biology.
• Pate’s Creek Elementary had increases in all grade levels for reading, all grade levels for ELA (12-percentage-point increase in third grade, 19-percentage-point increase in fourth grade, and 10-percentage-point increase in fifth grade), a 16-percentage-point increase in fourth-grade math, and a 15-percentage-point increase in fifth-grade science. 
• Pleasant Grove Elementary had a 25-percentage-point increase in fourth-grade reading and a 17-percentage-point increase in fourth-grade ELA.
• Red Oak Elementary had increases in all grade levels for reading (17-percentage-point increase in fourth grade), a 10-percentage-point increase in fourth-grade ELA, and an 11-percentage-point increase in third-grade math.
• Rock Spring Elementary had increases in all grade levels for reading and a 10-percentage-point increase in third-grade ELA.
• Rocky Creek Elementary had a 10-percentage-point increase in fourth-grade ELA and increases in all grade levels for math. 
• Smith-Barnes Elementary and Stockbridge Elementary had increases in all grade levels for reading and a 15-percentage-point increase in fifth-grade science (Smith-Barnes). 
• Stockbridge Middle had an 11-percentage-point increase in seventh-grade reading and increases in sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade math. 
• Stockbridge High had an 18-percentage-point increase in biology, as well as increases in reading, algebra, and U.S. history.
• Timber Ridge Elementary had a 10-percentage-point increase in fifth-grade reading, a 30-percentage-point increase in fifth-grade math, and a 23-percentage-point increase in fifth-grade science. 
• Tussahaw Elementary had increases in all grade levels for reading and a 10-percentage-point increase in fifth-grade science. 
• Unity Grove Elementary had increases in all grade levels for reading (10-percentage-point increase in fourth grade).
• Union Grove Middle had increases in sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade math (13-percentage-point increase in seventh-grade math) and increases in both eighth-grade science and HS physical science (17-percentage-point increase in eighth-grade science). 
• Union Grove High had an 11-percentage-point increase in U.S. History, as well as an increase in biology.
• Walnut Creek Elementary had a 12-percentage-point increase in third-grade reading, a 17-percentage-point increase in fourth-grade reading, and a 17-percentage-point increase in fourth-grade math. 
• Wesley Lakes Elementary had a 14-percentage-point increase in third-grade reading and a 12-percentage-point increase in third-grade math. 
• Woodland Elementary had a 14-percentage-point increase in fourth-grade reading.
• Woodland High had increases in biology and U.S. history.

“We’re proud that our students showed strong growth on the Georgia Milestones,” said Pate’s Creek Elementary Principal Jennifer McCrary. “This achievement reflects our focus on data-driven, small group instruction, our commitment to reading, and schoolwide literacy efforts. We’re excited to continue this momentum as we remain ‘Rooted in Growth, Reaching for Greatness!’ Thank you to our students, staff, and families for making this possible.”

“I am incredibly proud of our students’ performance on the Georgia Milestones,” added East Lake Elementary School Principal Dana Flowers. “These results are a reflection of the collective effort of our entire school community. From dedicated staff and hard-working students to supportive family partnerships, it’s clear that when we work together and prioritize learning, great things happen.”

“The growth that we have demonstrated this past school year affirms the power of collaboration, intentional instruction, and a shared belief that our students can succeed when given the right support and opportunities,” said McDonough Middle School Principal Kimberly Kessinger. “While we are pleased with our growth, we are committed to realizing even greater success this school year. With a laser focus on implementing effective instructional systems, we know our WarHawks will continue to RISE and SOAR!”

“I am excited to work alongside some of the best and brightest minds in public education,” added Stockbridge High School Principal Dr. James Thornton. “Preparing, collaborating, and implementing standards-based instruction amidst various modern challenges is a testament not only to the commitment of our faculty and staff but also to our community’s expectation that we will ensure a high-quality, world-class education for every student. We will continue to strive to uphold the Stockbridge Standard and build on our success to empower every student, every day.”

View a full summary of results by state, system, and school from the Georgia Department of Education.