Governor Brian P. Kemp, along with the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement (GOSA), announced the 189 Georgia public schools in 58 districts that will receive Highest Performing or Greatest Gains school awards for 2019. Model Middle School (MMS) has earned a Platinum Award in the Greatest Gains category for exhibiting high growth in student achievement, meaning their academic growth over the last three years has been in the top 1% of schools in the state.
“I am so proud of our school and community for being recognized as a platinum school. This honor is possible because of the determination and commitment to success that our students and staff display on a daily basis,” said MMS Principal Steve Turrentine. “I also cannot say thank you enough for the support we receive from the district office, the board of education, our community, and the Model Middle families. The Model area is truly a special place and this award is indicative of the ‘We Are Model’ attitude that begins at Johnson Elementary and Model Elementary and continues at Model Middle then Model High. We value relationships and student success and we will continually focus on the whole child and work together to provide an enriching, positive learning experience for our students.”
The school awards, developed by GOSA and approved by the State Board of Education (SBOE), are part of Georgia’s Single Statewide Accountability System (SSAS). For 2019, GOSA used College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) data from the three most recent school years to determine SSAS Awards in two categories: Greatest Gains and Highest Performing. Each award category has four tiers: Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze. For more details on how awards are calculated, visit the SSAS Awards page.
Schools must meet the following criteria to be determined Greatest Gains Platinum Award winners:
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Earn a three-year average CCRPI Progress Score in at least the 99th percentile in the state;
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Remain in the same CCRPI Single Score range over the last three years; and
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Be excluded from GOSA’s Turnaround Eligible Schools List and GaDOE’s Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI)/Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) lists.
“I applaud the collaborative effort of Mr. Turrentine and the MMS teachers and parents who worked together with their students to achieve this level of success,” said Floyd County Schools Superintendent Dr. Jeff Wilson. “The fact that MMS has earned the highest award for student growth shows three years of great progress. That’s something great to really be proud of!”
MMS is one of 130 Greatest Gains schools in the state and one of only 26 schools to receive the 2019 Platinum Award for Greatest Gains. Winning schools will receive a banner and certificate to display in the school. A full list of award recipients is available here.
