Georgia Milestones 2024-25 results released
Conyers, Ga. – The Georgia Department of Education released the 2024-2025 Georgia Milestones assessment results. Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) students overall showed improvement in some areas including Fifth Grade Math, Seventh Grade Reading and ELA, Eighth Grade Science and Ninth Grade Reading. Other areas either remained steady or had a slight decrease.
Several schools showed improvements across the grades and subject areas. Six schools increased their Milestones performance by more than 10 points in one or more grade levels and subject areas. Six schools increased their Milestones performance by 8-10 points in one or more grade levels and subject areas. Nine schools increased their Milestones performance by 5-7 points in one or more grade levels and subject areas. Two schools increased their Milestones performance by 5 or more points in all tested subjects for a grade level.
“We appreciate the gains within the schools and commend our faculty and staff for their continuous improvement efforts,” said Superintendent Shirley Chesser. “While the scores were released publicly today, we gained access to our school data in May. Over the summer, our central office staff and school-based leadership teams have collaborated intensively to develop targeted improvement plans aimed at addressing identified achievement gaps and ensuring positive growth for all learners.”
Throughout the summer months, teams engaged in data analysis, professional development, and planning to better understand and address disparities in student performance. These efforts have resulted in actionable, district and school-specific plans that focus on instruction, student engagement, and support systems tailored to meet the needs of our students.
Under the new leadership of Superintendent Chesser, RCPS has a renewed commitment to student achievement and growth through the implementation of our 2025-2026 District Priorities. Grounded in data and driven by our mission to ensure student success, the five core priorities are:
- Attendance – Ensuring students are present, engaged, and ready to learn every day.
- Behavior – Creating safe, supportive learning environments through proactive behavior systems.
- Content Mastery (Student Achievement) – Elevating academic outcomes by focusing on rigorous instruction and mastery of grade-level standards.
- Development of Teachers and Staff – Investing in professional growth to build capacity and sustain high-quality teaching and leadership.
- Engagement – Strengthening partnerships with families and communities to support holistic student development.
To ensure these priorities translate into measurable impact, RCPS is launching systemic processes and accountability checkpoints across all schools. RCPS remains heavily focused on content mastery — ensuring every student achieves academic success through high-quality instruction, meaningful support, and consistent expectations.
These include:
- High leverage instructional practices, resources, and collaboration
- Regular progress monitoring, data reviews, and classroom observations
- Targeted professional learning aligned to district goals
- School-level improvement plans and measurable goals
Superintendent Chesser said, “This summer’s work reflected the deep commitment and continuous improvement focus of our teams. We didn’t just plan — we laid a strong foundation for meaningful progress. Our FY26 priorities represent a focused effort to improve student outcomes, and we’re committed to staying accountable throughout the journey.”
To strengthen support for schools and improve operational effectiveness, central office departments have undergone a strategic reorganization. This effort was designed to streamline workflows, clarify roles, and enhance cross-functional collaboration. By aligning departmental structures more closely with the district’s instructional priorities, the reorganization ensures that schools receive more responsive, targeted assistance. The new configuration positions central office teams to better anticipate school needs, reduce redundancies, and drive continuous improvement across all levels of the system.
For more information on the 2025-2026 District Priorities and district organization, please visit www.rockdaleschools.org
