Atlanta Public Schools (APS) continued to show overall improvement on the College and Career Readiness Index (CCRPI), according to the 2025 CCRPI data, released by the Georgia Department of Education.
The CCRPI includes five components: Content Mastery, Progress, Closing Gaps, Readiness, and – for high schools – Graduation Rate. APS scored 100 on the Closing Gaps component in elementary schools and improved Readiness and Content Mastery scores at all grade bands. Additionally, students with disabilities and who are economically disadvantaged made gains in 11 of 12 areas.
Principal Dr. Quentina Pruitt details how Peyton Forest Elementary School achieved its gains:
Q: What specific strategies or initiatives did your school implement that you believe contributed most to the CCRPI improvement?
A: Our CCRPI improvement was driven by a laser-focused, data-driven instructional support plan anchored in Winter-to-Spring Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) growth and Georgia Milestones Assessment System (GMAS) readiness. Key strategies included:
- A schoolwide MAP & GMAS Countdown Initiative with daily tracking posters and visible goals across all grade levels.
- Targeted small-group instruction implemented beginning January 7, based on real-time proficiency and RIT data.
- A continuous spiral of prioritized standards, ensuring students received repeated exposure to critical skills.
- Implementation of Thinking Routines, 3 Reads, Reading Progress monitoring, and mock GMAS assessments housed in Formative.
- Instructional WIN Time rotations, where students rotated through ELA and Math small groups on a 2-day cycle.
Monthly student data meetings and one-on-one data talks, helping students take ownership of their learning.
Q: Can you share examples of how your teachers are driving student growth and achievement, and any practices that have been particularly effective?
A: Teachers drove growth through intentional instructional alignment, collaboration, and results-driven decision-making. Effective practices included:
- Daily targeted small groups aligned to MAP proficiency goals and GMAS priority standards.
- Strong coach-teacher partnerships, with job-embedded planning, classroom small-group support, and WIN guidance.
- Special Education teachers grouping students by IEP and RIT bands, prioritizing Key Ideas & Details, Vocabulary, and Numerical Reasoning.
- Interventionists facilitating Breakfast Club, After-School Tutoring, and bi-weekly lesson planning for small groups.
- ESOL co-taught and pull-out instruction focused on language and vocabulary acquisition.
Media and Specials supporting Lexile readiness and AR reading challenges, reinforcing literacy across all content areas.
Q: What is something impactful/innovative happening in the area of teaching and learning at your school that sets your school apart?
A: What sets our school apart is our integrated, schoolwide instructional pathways model that blends:
- K–5 prioritized NWEA-aligned pathways using IXL
- Standards mastery monitored in real time through Formative
- Embedded WIN time rotations supported by content-specific intervention teachers and instructional coaches
- Targeted Whole Child supports, including MAP data talks
Additionally, we created a high-capacity instructional culture where teachers operate as data analysts, not just lesson planners. Instruction is continuously adjusted based on standard-level performance thresholds, not just test scores.
Q: What are your hopes or expectations for student achievement moving forward, and how do you plan to build on this recent success?
A: Our goal is not only to improve CCRPI scores, but to institutionalize high-impact systems that make accelerated growth the norm—not the exception. Additionally, we intend to do the following:
- Expand mock assessment cycles with rapid instructional response.
- Increase SWD and developing-level student growth through enhanced co-teaching and targeted intervention blocks.
- Deepen teacher content expertise through job-embedded professional learning and coaching cycles.
- Strengthen student ownership through consistent data talks, goal setting, and progress monitoring.
- Maintain schoolwide instructional pathway alignment across ELA, Math, and Science.