Whether it is a state or national assessment, Cobb students continue to outperform their peers, and the results of the 2023 Georgia Milestones continue that trend. 

When they took the required annual state assessment this year, Cobb students exceeded their peers across Georgia and comparable metro Atlanta school districts in each tested subject and in all subjects combined. 

“I could not be more proud of our teachers and students for again placing Cobb above our metro peers. We have the best teachers, and their focus on academic excellence is continuously demonstrated. I am looking forward to another great year and seeing our one goal of student success achieved for all our students,” said Superintendent Chris Ragsdale.

Georgia Milestones tests Cobb students in English Language Arts (ELA) and math in grades 3-8, science in grades 5 and 8, and social studies in grade 8. Cobb students enrolled in American Literature, Algebra 1, Biology, and US History also take an end-of-course (EOC) test as a part of the Milestones assessments. 

Examining the combination of all grade levels and the EOC for each subject shows Cobb leading Fulton, Gwinnett, Marietta City, Dekalb, Atlanta, and the state for the percentage of students who scored as developing learners and above. 

Cobb students topped their Georgia peers by at least eight percentage points in each of the combined areas. For social studies, the state scores lagged by almost ten percentage points, and the closest comparable metro district was 4.6 points behind Cobb. 

For students reading at or above grade level, Cobb ranks second in the metro. 

Cobb students similarly outperformed their state and metro peers last year. (The 2022 assessments marked the first time many students across the state were assessed following the COVID-19 pandemic.) 

“In Cobb, we keep our focus on academics and providing a world-class education for all our students, and that shows in our students’ achievement on the Georgia Milestones. Thanks to the Superintendent’s fiscally conservative leadership team, Cobb remains the best place to teach, lead, and learn while also keeping per-student costs lower than other districts. We accomplish more with less,” said Cobb Schools Board Chair Brad Wheeler. 

Like previous years, many individual Cobb schools further surpassed their state and metro peers in 2023. For 19 Cobb middle schools, 100% of their Algebra I students scored as a developing learner or above. As another example, 9 Cobb high schools were among the top 50 high schools in Georgia for the percent of US History students who scored as a developing learner or above. Five Cobb high schools ranked among the top 50 high schools in Georgia for ELA reading scores. 

Cobb elementary schools posted similar success. The assessment showed 100% of fourth graders in two Cobb elementary schools scoring as developing learners and above. In math, fourth graders at six Cobb elementary schools placed among the top 50 elementary schools in Georgia for the percentage of developing learners and above. Three Cobb elementary schools placed in the top 10 of Georgia schools for having the highest percentage of fifth graders reading on grade level and above. An additional six Cobb schools ranked in the top 50.