At the April 10 meeting, Dr. Abby May, the district executive director of teaching and learning, outlined plans to prepare students for upcoming Georgia Milestones assessments and said the district had submitted accreditation materials to Cognia ahead of an April 24 interview.

"We are just about ready to take those lovely milestones tests in just a few weeks," Dr. May said, describing school-level incentives and targeted instructional work the district is using to boost attendance, test-taking strategies and readiness.

May told board members that elementary and secondary schools are using differentiated strategies: attendance incentives and targeted ELA/math instruction at some elementary schools; short "cram" and practice sessions and after-school preparation at middle schools; and focused standards-based instruction at the high school. She also said staff reviewed third-grade Beacon scores and have scheduled unit work and practice sessions to address specific gaps.

Superintendent-level remarks at the meeting noted that the district had submitted its accreditation materials to Cognia and will appear for its accreditation presentation on April 24. The presentation follows a multi-year review process; Dr. May and district staff led the submission, the district said.

Why it matters: Georgia Milestones are state accountability assessments; accreditation by Cognia is part of the district's cyclical review to confirm it meets regional standards for school systems.

What was not decided: No new instructional policies were adopted at the meeting. The report was informational and outlined ongoing classroom and school supports heading into testing.

Next steps

The district will hold the Cognia interview on April 24 and continue its test-preparation activities in the weeks leading up to the assessments.