The Georgia Department of Education recently announced Banks County Elementary School as the recipient of the Platinum Award 2010-2011 in recognition of the students and staff of the school making the greatest gains in percentage of students meeting or exceeding standards based on the 2010-2011 CRCT testing. Banks County Elementary is one of only 22 other elementary schools in the state to be honored with such an accolade.
Banks County High School was heralded as a Bronze Award winner for 2010-2011 for highest performance on the Georgia High School Graduation Test. Only 13 other high schools in the state received such a prestigious recognition.
Of the recently bestowed honor, Michael Williams, principal of BCES said, “I am so very proud of the faculty, staff, and students. I have watched these teachers work incredibly hard each year to give our students the best education possible and this award affirms their efforts.”
Banks County High School Principal, Art Wheaton, was elated with the announcement of the award he told faculty and staff. “I am proud of our students and teachers not only for this accomplishment,” said Wheaton, “but for their team efforts and commitment.”
Awards are based on Full Academic Year (FAY) student, CRCT grades 3-8 in Reading, ELA, Math, Social Studies, and Science, and GHSGT grade 11 first time test takers in English Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. An additional requirement includes the school making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for two consecutive years. All the requirements are based on the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) federal mandate.
