Memorandum from Mary Kay Murphy
Mary Kay Murphy, Ph.D. District 3  School Board Member

March 8, 2005

Results Based Evaluation System

   I was pleased to be asked to report to the members of the United Peachtree Corners Civic Association at its March 2005 meeting about the status of public schools in District III, including all in the Norcross Cluster, all in the Duluth Cluster, and two schools—Dr. Miles H. Mason Elementary School and Richard Hull Middle School—in the Peachtree Ridge Cluster.

   In preparing my comments for the UPCCA community, I reviewed the “Accountability Reports” for each of the seventeen schools in District III. These reports are prepared by each school principal, along with members of the Local School Advisory Council, and others in the community. The reports are part of each school’s Local School Plan for Improvement and Results Based Evaluation System.

   Because each school report has meaning to local school clientele, I wanted to share the process of developing these school-based reports with members of the United Peachtree Corners Civic Association, as well as with readers of InsideGwinnett.

   For those who have an interest, reports from Gwinnett County’s more than 100 schools can be accessed online. Each report is titled “Accountability Report – Results Based Evaluation System” and is specific for local schools in the Gwinnett County Public School system. Reports can be accessed on the school system’s web site at gwinnett.k12.ga.us

   After accessing the website, each school’s study can be accessed by searching in the “Publications” Section until “School Accountability Reports” can be located. Then search school by school for local school reports under the heading “Results Based Evaluation System.” 

   RBES, as the evaluation report is known, fairly and systematically measures a school’s progress, providing a process that communicates expectations, reviews, monitors, and supports a school’s performance, and evaluates that performance.

   As schools evaluate performance, it is important that the results are shared with community members. This helps members of the school community better understand how its schools are doing in meeting system-wide and local school expectations.

   The accountability reports posted on the school system’s website provide consolidated information on a school’s effectiveness based on multiple measures and student characteristics. In addition to information on test results, community members will find information from the school about its results and programs in place to help students achieve academically. Also included are key results from the local school plan for improvement, school highlights, and student and staff data.

   Gwinnett County Public Schools focus on making decisions based on student and staff data. School leaders for each individual school collaborate on the highlights included in the Accountability Report, which also serves as the school’s Annual Report.

   Included in each Elementary School Accountability Report are results on Local School Plan for Improvement (LSPI). In addition, data are provided on 2002-03 results on the following student measures: Grade 4 Gateway; Grades 3 and 5 Iowa Tests of Basic Skills; Grade 5 Georgia Writing Test/Gateway Assessment; Criterion-Reference Competency Tests and Adequate Yearly Progress. In addition, highlights are presented on the 2003-04 academic year, as well as Teacher and Student Data and School Safety Perceptions.

   For each Middle School Accountability Report, the following key results are provided on the Local School Plan for Improvement (LSPI): 2002-03 Grade 7 Gateway Assessment Results, the Grade 8 Georgia Writing Assessment/Gateway Assessment; the Grade 6 and Grade 8 Georgia Writing Assessment/Gateway Assessment; the Grade 6 and 8 Criterion-Referenced Competency Test Results; as well as Teacher and Student Data and Safe School Data.

   Each High School Accountability Report includes the following results related to the Local School Plan for Improvement (LSPI): 2002-03 College Scholarship Report on graduating students who plan to attend college or post-secondary school; 2002-03 SAT I Scores; 2002-03 Advanced Placement (AP) Exam Results; the 2002-03 Gateway Assessment Results in Science, Social Studies, Science/Language Arts, and Social Studies/Language Arts. Also included are key results from each high school’s 2002-03 Local School Plan for Improvement (LSPI); Student and Teacher Data; and 2002-03 Safe School Data.

   The Gwinnett Board of Education believes strongly in using data to drive decisions related to student achievement and school performance. Having the benefit of system-wide and local school data to evaluate performance provides for discrete analysis of student performance not possible without access to technology hardware and software.

   As District III School Board member, I invite interested residents of the Norcross Cluster, the Duluth Cluster, and the Peachtree Ridge Cluster to become familiar with the Accountability Reports for our local schools.

   If you have questions or need additional information about this important measurement tool of student achievement and school performance, please contact your local school principal or please contact me. 

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