Atlanta Public Schools reported on Mar. 9 that it has shown overall improvement in the 2025 College and Career Readiness Index (CCRPI), according to data released by the Georgia Department of Education.
The CCRPI measures school performance across five components: Content Mastery, Progress, Closing Gaps, Readiness, and Graduation Rate for high schools. Atlanta Public Schools scored a perfect 100 on the Closing Gaps component for elementary schools and saw improvements in Readiness and Content Mastery at all grade levels. The district also noted gains among students with disabilities and those who are economically disadvantaged in 11 out of 12 measured areas.
Dr. Jennifer Toney, principal of Springdale Park Elementary School, described several strategies that contributed to her school’s improved CCRPI results. “Our school’s improvement on CCRPI is directly tied to our intentional, consistent focus on high-quality instruction. We strengthened small-group instruction across all grade levels, ensuring every student receives targeted teaching aligned to their individual needs. Teachers developed schedules to maximize every minute of instructional time with purposeful transitions, clear routines, and aligned lessons that minimized downtime and maximized engagement. We also practiced tight progress monitoring through our Whole Child team to adjust instruction early and often,” Toney said.
Toney added that teachers use assessment data to plan small-group instruction tailored to each student’s needs. “Our teachers are deeply committed to knowing their learners. They use relevant data from common assessments to plan for intentional small-group instruction, making sure each child receives the right support or challenge at the right moment. They provide targeted feedback that is specific and actionable. Teachers prioritize each child’s instructional reading level,” she said.
She also highlighted innovative practices at Springdale Park Elementary School: “One of our most impactful practices is our commitment to ensuring students read daily at their instructional reading level. We have also invested in professional learning around success criteria through writing and STEAM journals, which has helped teachers deliver lessons with clarity, purpose, and stronger student ownership. It has also increased the rigor and quality of student independent work.” Looking ahead, Toney said she hopes to expand these initiatives further: “Moving forward, I hope to continue expanding the use of STEAM journals so that every student regularly engages in inquiry, reflection, and authentic problem solving… Ultimately, my goal is to develop curious, confident learners who are excited about their own growth.”
