2021-2022 | CLASS ACT 45
CCSD ACCOLADES
The Georgia School Boards Association awarded the
Cherokee County School Board its 2020 Exemplary
School Board designation, which honors school boards
that consistently model best practices and meet specific
high standards of excellence.
The Cherokee County School Board’s Student Advisor
and Student Delegates to the School Board program
earned the 2020 Georgia School Boards Association’s
Leading Edge Award in the Culture, Climate & Organizational
Efficacy category.
CCSD’s graduation rate has reached a new high, with
90.3% of the Class of 2020 earning a diploma within four
years of entering high school. CCSD has grown its graduation
rate more than 15 percentage points since 2012.
According to State data collected from Georgia public
colleges and universities, when CCSD students move on
to college, they’re more prepared than their classmates, as
95 percent don’t need a single remedial class.
CCSD for the third consecutive year has earned 4.5
stars (out of a possible 5) in the State’s Financial Efficiency
Star Ratings measuring school districts’ spending per
student in relation to those students’ academic performance
– earning one of the best scores in the State.
CCSD has earned its highest marks for cultivating a
positive school climate: 4 stars (out of a possible 5) in the
State’s annual ratings, which measure how a community
views the quality of its school’s culture and character.
All six CCSD high schools were named to U.S. News
and World Report’s 2021 “Best High Schools” list, which
is based on factors including academic performance,
college readiness, graduation rates and success of disadvantaged
students. Five of CCSD’s high schools –
Creekview, Etowah, River Ridge, Sequoyah and Woodstock
– also ranked in the Top 100 in Georgia of the more
than 400 high schools in the state and fell within the top
15% nationwide.
The average SAT Score for CCSD’s Class of 2020 is
1100, which is 70 points over the National average and 57
points over the State average. All CCSD high schools
topped National and State averages on the exam!
CCSD’s Class of 2020 earned an average ACT score of
22.6, continuing to outscore both National and State
averages on the competitive college entrance and placement
examination. Scores from all six of CCSD’s high
schools all again landed in the top 20% of all Georgia high
schools and surpassed both the State and National averages.
CCSD’s high schools all have been named 2021 AP
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and
AP STEM Achievement Schools, and three – Creekview
HS, Etowah HS and River Ridge HS – also were named
AP Humanities and AP Humanities Achievement Schools.
Two schools – Creekview High and Woodstock High
– additionally earned AP School of Distinction Honors.
CCSD students who took AP exams in 2020 earned
passing scores of 3 or higher on 72% of the 4,640 tests
administered, as compared to 61% for Georgia and 59%
nationwide. Assuming each exam equals one college
course for which students and their parents avoid tuition
costs, these CCSD students earned $4.4 Million in Georgia
in-state college tuition through passing AP courses!
CCSD for its innovations in academic school choice
has twice won National recognition from the MAGNA
Award Program presented by American School Board
Journal recognizing outstanding academic programs that
advance learning… most recently for its Cherokee Academies
school choice initiative to expand STEM and arts
education for elementary school students.
CCSD was selected by the District Administration
educational leadership organization as the 2020 Districts
of Distinction award winner in the Educational Technology
category. CCSD earned the honor for its Minecraft:
Education Edition initiative, which began during the
2017-18 school year when the District was selected by
Microsoft to pilot the school-version of the popular video
game.
Clark Creek Elementary School STEM Academy
teacher Karen Garland was named the 2021 Excellence in
Teaching About Agriculture Award winner, one of only
eight educators honored nationwide. The National
Agriculture in the Classroom Organization, U.S. Depart-
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