Cobb County School District

Cobb ACT Scores Rise in All Subjects

August 19, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Cobb ACT Scores Rise In All Subjects
Fifth consecutive year of improvement; top state & national averages

 

For the fifth consecutive year Cobb County’s college-bound seniors have improved the school district’s composite score on the ACT college-preparation test. Recently released scores show Cobb students increased their average score in every subject area of the test. Cobb students also topped state and national averages in all four subject areas, as well as in the composite average, just as they did in 2008, and even widened the margin of performance in 2009.

ACT scores for the class of 2009 indicate that Cobb graduates are well prepared for success in their first year of college. The 2009 seniors posted an average composite score of 22.1 (out of a possible 36), slightly higher than last year’s score of 22.0. The composite average was 1.5 points higher than the state average, and 1.0 points higher than the national average. Across the subject areas tested, Cobb students topped the national averages in English (+1.2), Math (+1.2), Reading (+1.1), and Science Reasoning (+0.6). The ACT assessment measures high school students’ overall educational development and their readiness for the challenge of core college classes. Cobb seniors’ composite average has topped the state and national average for 13 consecutive years.

“The ACT is valued more and more in college admissions, and these results show colleges and universities that Cobb County students are prepared for the rigors of college course work,” said Superintendent Fred Sanderson. “I’m very proud of the fact that we continue to show improvement, and our students are widening the gap between Cobb’s average and the national average in every subject.”

Students taking more rigorous classes in science or math tended to have higher ACT scores, promoting the value of enrollment in more advanced classes at the high school level. For example, Cobb students who participated in a high school math course sequence that included Algebra I and II, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Calculus, had scores more than eight points higher than students with less than three years of math coursework. Similarly, students taking advanced science classes that included General Science, Biology, Chemistry and Physics scored almost four points higher than those taking less than three years of science.

Results reflect the performance of 2,748 Cobb high school seniors (38 percent of all graduating seniors). Scores are for 2008-2009 seniors who took the ACT voluntarily in either their sophomore, junior or senior year of high school.

 

Scores for individual Cobb high schools are available on the District Web site.

Call or Email me today for all of your Real Estate needs! Jodi Smith, Atlanta Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty Consultants in Roswell, Georgia.  CELL:  678-763-6025 or EMAIL:  jodismith@kw.com

Cobb County School District

Cobb County SD Update for Parents Regarding H1N1 Flu

 

Your Atlanta Real Estate Agent would like to share this important information with YOU!

 

 

 

 

 

  

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Dear Parents:

Most likely you have heard news reports about the influenza A H1N1 virus (H1N1 flu), also known as “Swine Flu” making its way into the United States. Confirmed cases continue to grow throughout the country and have been found in many summer schools and camps across the nation.

We want to share some basic information with you about H1N1 flu, how the Cobb County School District is preparing and responding and what you can do to protect your family’s health.

The most up-to-date information about H1N1 flu is available on the Web site for the Centers for Disease Control at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/. Locally, the District works closely with Cobb & Douglas Public Health, a division of the sate public health department. CDPH provides locally relevant information online at http://cobbanddouglaspublichealth.org/News/swineflu.php.

What is H1N1 flu?
H1N1 flu (Swine Flu) is a respiratory illness that is caused by a Type A influenza virus. H1N1 is a new strain of flu that is a mix of swine, human and bird viruses. You cannot get H1N1 flu from eating pork or pork products.

What are the signs and symptoms of H1N1 flu?
The signs and symptoms of H1N1 flu are similar to regular flu. Symptoms appear quickly, likely including dry cough, fever (sometimes over 102 degrees), stuffy nose, chills, extreme tiredness and body aches. Some people have reported symptoms of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea with H1N1 flu, which are not common symptoms of more common influenza.

What should I do if my child has signs or symptoms of influenza?
If your child gets a fever or flu-like symptoms, it is important that he/she stays home, rests and drinks plenty of fluids. Please do not give give children fever-reducing medication and send them to school. The medication wears off and fevers and aches return. Never give aspirin to children or teens that have fever and/or flu-like symptoms because this can cause a rare, serious illness called Reye syndrome. Thorough hand washing with soap and water is the best prevention, in addition to the flu vaccine.

What are Cobb County Schools doing to prevent the spread of influenza?
The District is encouraging staff and students to practice good hygiene, including proper hand washing techniques. We encourage students to use hand sanitizer with 60 percent alcohol content in situations where hand washing facilities are not immediately available. The CDC also provides information on how to get immunization against influenza and H1N1 flu.

The Cobb County School District will continue to make families aware of the impact of influenza on our school environments. Awareness and prevention are the best means of helping our community stay healthy.

Call or Email me today for all of your Real Estate needs! Jodi Smith, Atlanta Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty Consultants in Roswell, Georgia.  CELL:  678-763-6025 or EMAIL:  jodismith@kw.com 

Cobb County School District

2009-10 Cobb County Bus Route – Q&A

Your Atlanta Real Estate Agent wants to share this valuable information regarding the Cobb County Bus Route with YOU!

CCSD Transportation Department

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NEWEST INFORMATION!!!

All CCSD Bus Routes Finalized
All changes to Cobb County Shcool District bus routes and stops have been completed, based on input received from parents. The updated routes are available for viewing on our WebQuery system by clicking here. These stops will be in place for the first day of school Monday, August 10th.

Ongoing evaluation of all routes and pickup points will continue by Transportation staff. Parents with questions or concerns should contact Transportation at 678-594-8000.

Thank you for your patience and support throughout this process.

 

Please call 678-594-8000 for assistance with bus routes.
Because the school bus is an extension of the classroom, we are an integral part of the education of all students within our school district. Safety is high priority and a group effort. Students, parents, teachers, school administrators, and drivers are all assigned responsibility. We value each and every student and will emphasize that by treating each student with dignity and respect. We are committed to providing the safest, consistent, reliable transportation possible and will strive to continually upgrade our service to students and parents as it becomes possible.

 

Bus Route Information
The CCSD Bus Route WebQuery System helps you determine the schools a student is eligible to attend and the available bus stops. WebQuery also provides a helpful street map. Click here to enter the WebQuery System.

Bus Route Questions & Answers
Information for parents regarding changes to bus routes and pickup points

What is happening?
The school district is consolidating many of its bus stops in an effort to reduce transportation costs. For instance, subdivisions that previously had 15-20 stops may now have just two or three pickup points where students will gather and board the bus as a group. The district currently has more than 50,000 bus stops countywide. This plan would reduce those stops by about 20 percent.

Why?
The school district is in the midst of a financial crisis due to cuts in state funding. The recently approved Fiscal Year 2010 budget addressed a $58 million deficit with substantial cuts across all departments, including Transportation. Just this week the Governor announced reductions in funding that will result in an additional $10 million cut for Cobb County schools. The plan to consolidate bus stops will save approximately $1 million.

Are there any alternatives for substantial cost savings in Transportation?
One idea given consideration was to expand the current pickup radius to one mile (currently .5 mile) for elementary students, and to 1.5 miles (currently one mile) for middle and high school students.  The state requires districts to provide transportation only to students who live outside a 1.5 mile-radius of their school. Cobb has been well below that standard for years.  Expanding the pickup radius would have saved the district more money, but would have eliminated bus service to thousands of students. Therefore an alternative plan was developed.

How far will students have to walk to get to the new bus stops?
In most cases, no more than one half mile.

Will students be safe?
Yes, the safety of students is the district’s highest priority and was the top consideration in developing the plan to consolidate bus stops. Every effort has been made to ensure safe walking routes to bus stops. Students will not be required to cross busy two- and four-lane roads. And by gathering in groups at bus stops, students will be in a safer environment than they would waiting alone. Parental assistance and supervision with walking routes and bus stops, as always, will be an important part of ensuring safe transportation to and from school. Parents with legitimate safety concerns regarding the new stops may contact the Transportation Department at 678-594-8000.

Are there other benefits of consolidating bus stops?
Yes, with greatly improved efficiency in the routes of nearly 1,000 buses on the road each morning and afternoon, traffic flow throughout the county will improve. Additionally, the district anticipates fewer bus accidents with more than 1,400 back-ups and turnarounds eliminated from routes.

 

Call or Email me today for all of our Real Estate needs.  Jodi Smith, Atlanta Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty Consultants in beautiful Roswell, Georgia.  CELL:  678-763-6025 or EMAIL: jodismith@kw.com

Cobb County School District

Cobb County 2009-10 School Year At a Glance Calendar

Your Atlanta Real Estate Agent would like to share this important information with YOU!

http://www.cobbk12.org/generalinfo/calendars/2009-10/2009-10SchoolYearCalendar.pdf

 

Call or Email me today for all of your Real Estate needs! Jodi Smith, Atlanta Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty Consultants in Roswell, Georgia.  CELL:  678-763-6025 or EMAIL:  jodismith@kw.com

Cobb County School District

Georgia HB 251 School Choice-Cobb County Schools

Your Atlanta Real Estate Agent would like to share this valuable information with YOU! 

 

HB 251 is an amendment to Georgia law that provides parents an option to transfer their child into another public school within the same district, as long as there is available classroom space. Each school district in Georgia is tasked with defining available classroom space. The law does not apply to charter schools, magnet programs or newly opened schools (for four years from the school’s opening date). Students eligible for transfer under No Child Left Behind (see left) are required to receive first priority for available seats at schools in the district that are not in ‘Needs Improvement’ status. The Cobb County School District’s plan for compliance with HB 251 was created using the framework provided by the Georgia Department of Education. The Cobb schools eligible for school choice transfers have been deemed to have adequate permanent classroom space to accommodate additional students. The school district will not provide transportation for students who elect to transfer under HB 251. Transportation will be the responsibility of the parents.

Click here for specific information about the Georgia School Choice option for the 2009-2010 school year.

For your Atlanta Real Estate needs, feel free to call or email me anytime!  Jodi Smith, Atlanta Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty Consultants.  CELL:  678-763-6025 or EMAIL: jodismith@kw.com.

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