Newton County Schools Reports Strong Mathematics Gains as More Students Reach Proficiency
Newton County Schools is reporting strong progress in mathematics achievement following the release of the 2026 Georgia Milestones Assessment results. The results show evidence of improvement across the district, with four grade levels increasing performance, one grade level remaining stable, and one grade level experiencing a slight decline while continuing to outperform its prior baseline.
Most notably, 134 more Newton County Schools students achieved Proficient or Distinguished performance in mathematics than in the previous year.
The increase reflects continued progress toward ensuring more students are mastering grade-level mathematics standards and are prepared for future academic success.
The results also demonstrate that more students are building the skills needed for success in mathematics and that the district's continued focus on strengthening instruction and improving instructional systems is producing evidence of clear progress.
The 2026 Georgia Milestones results were released following continued implementation of Georgia's K–12 Mathematics Standards, which heavily emphasize problem-solving, reasoning, application, and students' ability to explain their thinking. The standards require students to move beyond memorizing procedures and demonstrate the ability to apply mathematical concepts.
For Newton County Schools, the 2026 results represent more than a single year of assessment performance. They provide evidence of a broader effort to strengthen instruction across the district and create more consistent opportunities for student success across classrooms and schools.
Georgia Milestones measures student achievement across four performance levels: Beginning Learner, Developing Learner, Proficient Learner, and Distinguished Learner. Movement into the Developing Learner category represents important progress because it demonstrates that more students are building grade-level knowledge and skills. At the same time, Newton County Schools remains focused on increasing the number of students who reach the Proficient and Distinguished levels.
Multi-Grade Improvement
The strongest takeaway from this year's results is that improvement occurred across multiple grade levels throughout the K–8 mathematics experience.
• Grade 3 increased from 74% to 75.0%, a gain of 1 percentage points.
• Grade 4 increased from 66% to 69%, a gain of 3 percentage points.
• Grade 6 posted the district’s largest year-over-year increase, rising from 55% of students performing at the Developing Learner level or above to 62%, a gain of 7 percentage points.
• Grade 8 increased from 61% to 64%, a gain of 3 percentage points.
These increases demonstrate stronger readiness compared to the previous year and show that more students are building the foundational mathematics skills necessary for future success.
School-Level Highlights
The district's progress was reflected across multiple schools, with several grade levels posting particularly impressive year-over-year gains.
• Cousins Middle School led the district with a 31-percentage point increase in sixth-grade mathematics.
• Heard-Mixon Elementary School recorded gains across multiple grade levels, including a 22-percentage point increase in third-grade mathematics.
• Rocky Plains Elementary School posted a 21-percentage point increase in fourth-grade mathematics.
• Livingston Elementary School achieved a 17-percentage point increase in third-grade mathematics.
• Veterans Memorial Middle School recorded a 17-percentage point increase in eighth-grade mathematics.
• Flint Hill Elementary had a 14-percentage point increase in fourth-grade mathematics.
• Clements Middle School posted a 13-percentage point increase in eighth-grade mathematics.
• Fairview Elementary School also posted a 13-percentage point increase in fourth-grade mathematics.
• Liberty Middle School recorded a 12-percentage point increase in sixth-grade mathematics.
• Porterdale Elementary School achieved a 10-percentage point increase in third grade mathematics.
In addition, the Newton County STEAM Academy has posted 100 percent score in developing or above for two consecutive years in eighth-grade mathematics.
These results reflect the dedicated efforts of teachers, school leaders, instructional coaches, support staff, students, and families who continue working together to strengthen mathematics teaching and learning across Newton County Schools.
"These gains are markers of a comprehensive system of teaching and learning, and when we master that, it shows that we can educate kids well at scale and put them on a path to proficiency," said Superintendent Dr. Duke Bradley. "Every additional student who reaches proficiency represents expanded opportunities for future success, and these results demonstrate that our work to strengthen teaching and learning is making a meaningful difference for students."
Moving From Progress to Acceleration
While the 2026 results demonstrate progress, Newton County Schools also recognizes that the ultimate measure of success is increasing the number of students who reach proficiency. Five of six grade levels improved the percentage of students performing at the Proficient level or higher. Our continued focus must be on moving more students from Developing to Proficient and from Proficient to Distinguished, but we can now say with confidence that we are putting more students on a path to proficiency as our baseline performance continues to improve.
The work continues. Newton County Schools remains committed to ensuring that every classroom delivers high-quality instruction, every educator has the support needed to succeed, and every student has the opportunity to reach proficiency and beyond. The 2026 results demonstrate meaningful progress while reinforcing the district's commitment to continuous improvement and higher levels of achievement for all students.