Memorandum from Mary Kay Murphy
Mary Kay Murphy, Ph.D. District 3  School Board Member marykaymurphy@aol.com

June 12, 2006

   As the 2005-06 academic year ended, Norcross High School Principal Mary Anne Charron announced her retirement from public education. Her thirty-three year career provided excellent leadership and outstanding service to public education. Ms. Charron’s contributions provide testimony to her academic leadership among the students, faculty, and staff at Norcross High School, as well as her commitment and devotion to the community the school serves. 

   Those of us in Peachtree Corners and Norcross await news of the next Principal for Norcross High School. We anticipate another outstanding leader to follow in the footsteps of Judi Rogers, Mary Anne Charron, and the other distinguished individuals who have served the community through leadership as Principals of Norcross High School.

   Summer provides an opportunity for reflection on the achievement and progress of each school of District III, including those in Berkeley Lake, Duluth, Norcross, and Peachtree Corners. 

   During the Class of 2006 graduations held at the Gwinnett Arena, Duluth High School Valedictorian Caroline Guo and Salutatorian Stephen John Pety address the 419 graduates. The number of Honor Graduates at Duluth High School included 131 students of the Class of 2006.

   At Norcross High School’s graduation, Halina Maladtsova was Valedictorian of the Class of 2006 and Qiong Lei was Salutatorian. A total of 95 members of 467 were Honor Graduates of the Class of 2006.

   The spring 2006 Georgia High School Graduation Test produced excellent results for Duluth High School of Norcross High School juniors. Gwinnett County juniors scored the system’s highest-ever passing rate in English/language arts (99 percent) and in mathematics (98 percent). On the science portion of the test, 86 percent of first-time test takers passed, up four percentage points from the previous year, and 10 points higher than the State average of 76. In Social Studies, Gwinnett County juniors scored 95 percent, compared to 89 percent for the State average. 

   Earlier this year, 98 percent of Gwinnett’s juniors passed the writing test on their first try, while 95 percent passed in Georgia. The writing portion of the test was administered in October 2005.

   At Duluth High School, the 2005-06 junior class scored the following on the Georgia High School Graduation Test: 99 percent on the writing test; 99 percent on the language arts test; 98 percent on the mathematics test; 97 percent on the social studies test; and 89 percent on the science test. 

   At Norcross High School, the 2005-06 junior class scored the following on the Georgia High School Graduation Test: 97 percent on the writing exam; 100 percent on the language arts exam; 98 percent on the math test; 95 on the social studies test; and 88 on the science exam.

   The Class of 2006 continues a Gwinnett County tradition, with the vast majority of graduates headed for college in the fall. Of the 7,615 graduates, 86 percent plan to attend college or postsecondary school. Of the total, 15 percent plan to continue their education outside of Georgia.

   Of those headed to post-secondary institutions, 66 percent expect to attend a four-year college or university, with 25 percent planning to attend a two-year institution. Technical colleges will draw the remaining 9 percent of school-bound students from the 2006 class. Of those with postsecondary plans, 87 percent will attend public institutions, while the other 13 percent plan to attend a private institution. 

   In Gwinnett County Public School system’s pursuit of excellence in education for all students, it is important to study trends and scores for all subgroups of students. This allows school personnel to better evaluate progress toward eliminating the achievement gap between groups of students. 

   In the 2005-06 Georgia High School Graduation Test, the greatest gains were made in the passing rates among subgroups in social studies and science. According to Gwinnett Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks, “The gains achieved by various subgroups of students should be applauded as the ‘achievement gap’ closes; however, the fact remains that there is work still to be done.

   “That said, I am confident that our efforts to continuously improve the AKS (Academic Knowledge and Skills) curriculum, deliver quality instruction, and accurately monitor student progress will result in improved achievement for all students.”

   As the District III School Board member, it is my privilege to share these results with our community members in Peachtree Corners, Norcross, Berkeley Lake, and Duluth. 

   Test score results at the high school level reflect earlier learning and teaching at the middle school and elementary school levels. The successes of the Class of 2006 at Norcross and Duluth High Schools, as well as the successes of the junior Class of 2005 on the Georgia High School Graduation Test reflect positively on all schools in the Norcross Cluster and the Duluth Cluster. 

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