All eight Rome City Schools achieved strong results in the Georgia Department of Education’s School Climate Star Ratings, indicating that all schools are on the path to successful school improvement.
Every Rome City school either saw its score stay the same as last year or improve, with three schools, Elm Street Elementary, West Central Elementary, and West End Elementary, all seeing their scores jump to a 5-Star rating, which is the highest possible score.
“We are proud of all of our schools and the work they are doing every day to create safe, positive learning environments for our students,” Rome City Schools Superintendent Dr. Eric L. Holland said. “These ratings are a reflection of our commitment to school safety, student attendance, and positive school culture. The progress our schools are making shows that we are moving the needle by engaging students and empowering staff to elevate our success.”
Anna K. Davie Elementary and Rome High School both saw their scores remain at a four, while Rome Middle School’s score rose to 3.75 stars, East Central Elementary’s score rose to 3.5 stars, and Main Elementary School’s score rose to 3.25 stars, indicating that all of the schools scored at least a 3.25 out of the 5-point scale.
“We are excited to see that almost every school had improvements in the latest ratings, and even those that didn't see improvements still saw great scores. It’s also satisfying to see three different schools score a 5,” Dr. Wesley Styles, Director of Strategic School Accountability & School Improvements, says. “Last year was the first time the state released climate scores since 2019, so we saw the baseline, and this year we were able to see our schools maintain their ratings or improve.”
The ratings are based on four factors, including survey data from teachers, parents, and students, discipline data, attendance, and the schools being safe and substance-free learning environments. This data generates an overall score that corresponds to the number of stars given to each school.
According to the Georgia Department of Education, the School Climate Star Rating is a diagnostic tool to determine if a school is on the right path to school improvement. Each school receives a one to five-star rating, with five stars representing an excellent school climate and one star representing a school climate most in need of improvement.