Test Scores & Ratings
Graduation Rate
For the Class of 2020, the CCSD four-year graduation rate is 91.89%; and although that’s down a tad from last school year, .14 of one percent, the CCSD is proud of its students, given the circumstances.
Seniors ended their high school career successfully, earning the second-highest graduation rate among the twenty-three largest districts in the state with more than 1,000 graduates.
Evans and Greenbrier dropped by just .01 of one percent, while Grovetown decreased by .11 and Lakeside by .32 of one percent.
Most noteworthy and a great big congratulations go to Harlem High School for improving their graduation rate from 90.5 to 92.22, an increase of 1.72 percent, and to Greenbrier graduates who earned the tenth highest rate among all Georgia high schools!
Overall, the CCSD congratulates the Class of 2020 and for the hard work and dedication our staff gives across all grades!
American College Testing (ACT) Results and Five-Year Comparisons
- in English, half a point
- In Mathematics, from 21.9 to 22.7
- In Reading, from 23.3 to 23.9; and
- In Science, from 22.7 to 22.8
The district’s composite score moved from 22.6 to 23.1.
The CCSD has the tenth highest score in Georgia; placing us in the top 6% of all of the 181 school districts in the state. Congratulations to our students and teachers!
Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)
In Reading/Writing, the district saw an eight-point decrease but still outperformed the state by 19 points and the nation by 31 points. In math, with a nine-point decrease, our students outperformed the state by 24 points and the nation by 25 points.
Overall, the CCSD is proud to have the sixteenth highest score in the state, placing us in the top 9 percent of the 181 districts!
School Climate Star Ratings

You can feel it as soon as you walk into a school building. It's called school climate. And, hopefully, it's a warm, inviting and positive feeling for all here in the Columbia County School District.
The School Climate Star Rating is a diagnostic tool to determine if a school is on the right path to school improvement. And state law (O.C.G.A. 20-14-33) requires the development and use of a "star rating" to address school climate.
The School Climate Star Rating is calculated using data from the Georgia Student Health Survey, Georgia Parent Survey, student discipline data and attendance records for students, teachers, staff and administrators.Each school receives a 1-5 star rating, with five stars representing an excellent school climate, and one star representing a school climate most in need of improvement. Schools have access to comprehensive reports which allow them to identify areas in need of improvement, and plan targeted student interventions to improve achievement for all students. This year, an outstanding total of 22 CCSD schools received a five-star rating.
Special kudos to Evans and Grovetown High Schools who moved out of the three-star category, Grovetown to a four-star and Evans to a five-star rating!
Ten schools received scores of 100 or higher, and eleven of 90 to 99. That’s pretty impressive.
The CCSD would like to thank this community for all the support received from parents, business partners, and the community!
It takes everyone.
Advanced Placement Honor Schools

Financial Efficiency Star Rating

College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI)
Under the federal, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) – the replacement for No Child Left Behind (NCLB) passed in 2015 – states are required to have a “statewide accountability system” that provides information on how well schools are performing. Similar accountability systems were required under the No Child Left Behind waivers many states operated under before ESSA was passed, but ESSA gives states more authority over the process.
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- Exemplary student achievement that prepares all for success in college and careers;
- Effective teaching and leadership in all schools;
- Innovative school improvement, particularly in low performing schools; and
- Reduction in the duplicative reporting requirements for local school districts.
disadvantaged students, English learner students, and students with disabilities meeting expectations. They can also receive points for going beyond the targets of the CCRPI by challenging students to exceed expectations and participate in college and career-ready programs. Schools also receive ratings based on their financial efficiency and school climate, but these ratings will be for the public’s information only, as they will not factor into the overall CCRPI score.


Georgia Milestone Assessments
Elementary School Results


Middle School Results

High School Results




About the Georgia Milestones Assessments
Students began taking Georgia Milestones assessments in 2014-15. The testing system is one comprehensive program across grades 3-12, which includes open-ended and technology-enhanced questions to better gauge students’ content mastery. The assessment was administered 100% online for the first time in the 2018-19 school year (with the exception of students who require a paper/pencil test as an accommodation).
Georgia Milestones assesses student learning along four levels of achievement:
- Beginning Learners do not yet demonstrate proficiency in the knowledge and skills necessary at this grade level/course of learning, as specified in Georgia’s content standards. The students need substantial academic support to be prepared for the next grade level or course and to be on track for college and career readiness.
- Developing Learners demonstrate partial proficiency in the knowledge and skills necessary at this grade level/course of learning, as specified by Georgia’s content standards. The students need additional academic support to ensure success in the next grade level or course and to be on track for college and career readiness.
- Proficient Learners demonstrate proficiency in the knowledge and skills necessary at this grade level/course of learning, as specified in Georgia’s content standards. The students are prepared for the next grade level or course and are on track for college and career readiness.
- Distinguished Learners demonstrate advanced proficiency in the knowledge and skills necessary at this grade level/course of learning, as specified in Georgia’s content standards. The students are well prepared for the next grade level or course and are well prepared for college and career readiness.
Georgia School Grades Report
Single Statewide Accountability Schools
U.S. News and World Report Best High School Rankings 2020
- College Readiness, as predicted by the proportion of 12th graders who took and passed at least one AP or IB exam;
- Math and Reading Proficiency, based on the aggregated scores on state assessment required for graduation;
- Math and Reading Performance, based on how our state assessments compare to U.S. News's expectations, given the proportions of students who are black, Hispanic and from low-income households;
- Underserved Student Performance, based on scores on state assessments aggregated among students who are black, Hispanic and from low-income households;
- College Curriculum Breadth, which is the proportion of 12th graders who took and passed AP and IB exams in multiple areas; and
- Graduation Rate, which is the proportion of entering 9th graders who graduated four academic years later.
This is how our high schools ranked among the nearly 18,000 public schools nationwide.

The Columbia County School District has much to be proud of across all categories, and we commend and thank our students, their parents, and our dedicated faculty and staff!