While some advancements were made in Georgia Milestones scores, Liberty County School System officials also acknowledged the need for improvement across the board.
School board members were presented with results from the 2025 Milestones assessments and improvements were shown in some areas.
Students are broken into four levels, with level 1 being beginning learners, level 2 developing learners, level 3 proficient learners and level 4 distinguished learners. The percentages are the combination of students who tested at levels 3 and 4.
Students who are well prepared for the next grade level, college or a career path should be at levels 3 and 4, according to the state Department of Education.
Liberty County third graders, for instance, tested at 38% reaching levels 3 and 4 in math, up from 36% in 2024. But the rate of those reaching levels 3 and 4 in English/language arts declined from 32% to 26%.
Statewide, third grade math levels 3 and 4 dipped slightly from 35% to 34% and dropped from 38% to 35% in English/language arts.
Liberty County fourth-graders improved from 29% to 32% in English/ language arts, but dropped from 44% to 38% in math. Science is one of the Milestones in fifth grade, but not in third and fourth grade, and Liberty fifth-graders improved from 31% at levels 3 and 4 to 36% for science. Math scores improved from 27% to 31% but ELA scores fell from 40% to 34%.
“We had a dip in fourth grade math, but that’s something we know we need to address,” schools testing coordinator Brandin Duke told board members.
Sixth graders in Liberty improved in math, going from 19% to 24%, and ELA scores slipped slightly from 30% to 29%. Across the state, sixth graders went from 35% to 37% in math and 42% to 41% in ELA.
Liberty County seventh graders were at the 26% mark for levels 3 and 4, holding steady from 2024, and went from 31% to 32% in ELA. State scores nudged upward in both categories, going from 38% to 40% in math and 40% to 41% in ELA.
Eighth graders also are tested on physical science and social studies. Liberty County’s eighth graders improved from 58% to 77% in physical science, far exceeding the statewide gains of 51% to 57%. Liberty eighth graders also improved from 25% to 32% in social studies and showed gains in science — going from 18% to 24% - and math, going from 25% to 32%. English/ language arts scores fell from 37% to 30%.
Statewide, eighth graders improved from 44% to 47% in math, 26% to 29% in science and 37% to 39% in social studies but fell from 45% to 40% in ELA.
High school students are tested in four subjects rather than by grades and are tested on American literature, algebra, biology and U.S. history. Students in Liberty County hitting levels 3 and 4 in American literature and algebra fell from 32% to 28% and from 25% to 17% respectively. Biology results remained the same at 34% and U.S. history results rose from 31% to 32%.
Statewide, results in American literature dropped from 42% to 40%, went up slightly in algebra from 44$ to 45%, dipped in biology from 45% to 44% and remained level in U.S. history at 39%.
Liberty’s scores also trailed those across the First District Regional Education Services Agency. The eighth grade physical science scores placed Liberty fifth among the 17 districts in the RESA, and eighth grade social studies were eighth. Some scores, such as fifth grade English/ language arts, which was 17th in the RESA, lagged behind.
“We have to own the data,” interim Superintendent Debra Frazier said. “We don’t like the numbers we’re seeing.”
Frazier added the schools are moving in the right direction in getting their instructional framework in place.
Of the 20 different Milestones results, Liberty County students improved in 11 and had the same score in two subject areas.
“We have made gains,” Duke said. “We know we have some areas we have to gain on. They are moving forward.”
Duke also told board members administrators working with teachers on the scores are “doing a fantastic job.”