Carroll County Schools graduated 1,098 seniors from its five high schools last May like these from Temple High School. Preliminary data from last year shows the district will exceed a 90 percent graduation rate for the eighth consecutive year when final numbers are released this fall. Carroll County high schoolers showed a 66 percent pass rate on Advanced Placement exams for college credit — an all-time high — while 145 students were recognized as AP scholars.
Academic performance data released this summer by the Georgia Department of Education and the College Board highlight the significant impact of continued focus on literacy and advanced academics on student performance at Carroll County Schools.
The school system continued to emphasize reading during the 2024-25 school year and that bore fruit in an increase across all seven literacy checkpoints at grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and American Literature.
“We challenged our students last year in a number of ways, and they proved again that they have what it takes to excel,” Superintendent Scott Cowart said. “We know that literacy is a skill that impacts all content areas, so I’m particularly pleased with the progress we are making to help students read on grade level.”
In middle schools, last year’s cumulative district end-of-grade scores showed improvement in 8 out of 10 subject areas
“We are very proud of the work our middle schools did last year,” Cowart said, “and we’ve challenged them to carry that momentum into the new year with a continued focus on student achievement.”
One particular highlight is the performance of eighth grade students taking high school level courses. Among the eighth graders taking high school Physical Science, 82 percent scored proficient or distinguished, beating the state average by 25 points. Of eighth graders taking high school algebra, 93 percent scored proficient or distinguished.
These students enter high school this year with course credits already in hand and the opportunity to take additional courses in high school that will prepare them for college.
For students at the high school level, the number of Advanced Placement exams taken increased 10 percent to 996 while 66 percent of students scored a 3 or higher – an all-time high for the district.
While the number of AP exams increased, the number of students scoring well on multiple exams also rose as 145 students were recognized as AP Scholars – scoring a 3 or higher on three or more AP exams. That’s an increase of over 35 percent from the prior year.
“Our focus on advanced academic opportunities at the high school level is paying off as more students use AP and Dual Enrollment classes to earn college credit and prepare for higher ed enrollment,” Associate Superintendent of School Performance Dr. Jessica Ainsworth said. “We continue our future-focused efforts to ensure each student graduates ready for enrollment, enlistment or employment, and regardless of which path students take, they are ready to be an engaged citizen in their community.”
The graduation rate for the Class of 2025 isn’t yet final, but preliminary numbers show a 97 percent rate that will put Carroll County Schools above 90 percent for an eighth consecutive year.
The system’s own measure of students who go beyond traditional graduation requirements to prepare for college, employment or the military – called G+ – increased 14 points to 70 percent indicating that more students are being intentional about choosing a path for their future after high school.
“We created our G+ certification so that students would know which actions to take to better prepare themselves for their chosen path after graduation,” Ainsworth said. “In just our second year of G+, we found that giving these students a target and pathways to get there greatly enhanced their readiness.”
Ainsworth said the system takes an individualized approach because students are different and have different goals.
“Families expect an education that prepares students for the path they choose, whether that’s advanced academics, STEM emphasis on emerging technologies, industry certifications or preparation for the military through JROTC,” she said. “Whatever path students choose for their future, our goal is to help them get there.”
