The Georgia Department of Education released the 2018 College and Career Readiness Performance Index (CCRPI) on Monday, and Amana Academy in Alpharetta has a single score of 91.9, which places it first among start-up charter schools and in the top 5% of all public schools statewide. The certified-STEM school is also among the top schools in Fulton County and its middle school students showed the highest growth among their peers in the district.

According to the GADOE’s Accountability website, the College and Career Ready Performance Index – CCRPI – is Georgia’s annual tool for measuring how well its schools, districts, and the state itself are preparing students for the next educational level. It provides a comprehensive roadmap to help educators, parents, and community members promote and improve college and career readiness for all students.
 
The CCRPI includes five main components each scored on a scale of 0 to 100: Achievement, Progress, Closing Gaps, Readiness,and Graduation Rate (high school only). These components, encompassing multiple indicators, are combined for a total CCRPI score on a scale of 0 to 100. The CCRPI also reports other information, such as the performance of student subgroups, school climate, and financial efficiency status.

“These results are all the more impressive given our socio-economic diversity; we are bucking conventional assumptions,” says school principal Cherisse Campbell. Amana serves a very diverse student population with no majority racial or ethnic population - 16% of its students are Asian, 40% are black, 15% are Hispanic, 5% are multiracial and 24% are white; anecdotal data shows close to 40 countries of origin for their families, and 23% are English Language Learners. More than half of Amana students - 55% - qualify to receive free or reduced lunch.  According to an Atlanta Regional Commission study from 2013, economic disadvantage is a key determinant of academic achievement, and schools with higher numbers of economically disadvantaged students generally under-perform. In the case of Amana, it is the highest performing Title 1 school in Fulton County.

“We set some high goals in our strategic plan that are starting to materialize, thanks to our dedicated faculty and staff,” says Executive Director Ehab Jaleel. Amana attributes much of its success to teachers implementing its unique Harvard-based EL Education model, which defines achievement across three dimensions - academic achievement, character and high quality work.  Paula Herrema, EL Education Regional Director and former GADOE Lead School Effectiveness Specialist, says, “Amana is a true inspiration to EL Education's three dimensions of student achievement. These remarkable results are a reflection of all students engaging in complex and authentic work, where staff empower students to collaboratively care and respond to the world around them.”