Langston Chapel Elementary School and Langston Chapel Middle School have been identified as Targeted Support and Improvement Schools by the Georgia Department of Education. This is based on their students with disabilities whose scores on state assessments consistently show that the children are underperforming in their mastery of academic content. This placed both schools in the lowest 5% of all schools in the state in at least 50% of the CCRPI’s content mastery and readiness components.
Content mastery addresses whether children are achieving at the level necessary to be prepared for the next grade, college, or career. It includes achievement scores in English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies based on student performance on the Georgia Milestones Assessment System and the Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA) 2.0.
According to the state, identification for support and improvement does not mean a school is not improving or making progress, as many schools identified this year serve children who were disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the case with both Langston Chapel schools. The schools may exit the lists if no student subgroup is performing in the lowest 5% of all schools in at least 50% of CCRPI components.
This year, 116 schools in the state were identified for Comprehensive Support and Improvement. Additionally, 59 were identified for Targeted Support & Improvement. No other schools in the district were previously on these lists, nor identified for placement this year.
Under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), states are required to identify schools in need of additional support.
Plan to support Langston Chapel schools
The Bulloch County Schools district is working with the state to create a plan to provide additional support for the Langston Chapel schools.
The district has already started this process with both schools, which includes support from the district’s school improvement directors, instructional coaches and school climate coaches.
The state will also assign a district effectiveness specialist; and the two schools will participate in required professional learning.
Both schools will also receive additional federal funds from the Annual Title I, Part A 1003 School Improvement Funds. This will support the achievement challenges that they are facing.