Marietta City Schools Excels Across Every Reported Subject on Georgia Milestones

MARIETTA, Ga. – Marietta City Schools students improved their mean scale score in every reported grade and subject for the first time since the Georgia Milestones assessment was introduced in 2015. The district ranked among metro Atlanta's top five in math in grades 3, 4, 5, and 6, and fourth graders posted the metro area's No. 1 growth in math. English language arts was tested under new state standards this spring, and those scores arrive later this year.

Eighth graders posted the district's highest social studies score on record. Eighth-grade science jumped 15 points in a single year and now sits ten points above the state. Since 2022, fifth graders nearly tripled the state's growth in science, Biology students more than doubled it, and U.S. History students gained 20 points to move ahead of the state.

These results demonstrate that the district's investment in literacy is strengthening teaching and learning across all subjects.

"Strong readers become stronger learners," Rivera said. "When students can read complex text, explain their thinking, and solve problems with confidence, they succeed in every subject. These results are a reflection of exceptional teaching happening every day in Marietta classrooms."

Marietta's fourth-grade math students posted the highest growth of any metro Atlanta district and the

15th-highest in the state. Fifth-grade math ranked third in metro Atlanta for growth (38th statewide), and high school Algebra students earned the third-highest growth in the metro area (29th statewide).

The rankings are based on mean scale score, the average score students earn on the assessment, which reflects overall academic performance. Since 2022, Marietta City Schools has consistently outpaced statewide improvement, widening its advantage over the state in every reported grade and subject.

Math

Mean scale score, Spring 2022, Spring 2025, and Spring 2026.

Several results marked the highest levels achieved by Marietta City Schools since the Georgia Milestones assessment was introduced in 2015. Third- and fifth-grade math each set district records for both mean scale score and the percentage of students scoring Proficient or Distinguished.

That momentum continued into the upper grades, where sixth-grade math achieved its highest mean scale score on record and grades 6, 7, 8, and high school Algebra all ranked at or above the state average.

Science

Mean scale score, Spring 2022, Spring 2025, and Spring 2026.

Science achievement continued to accelerate. Fifth-grade science recorded the district's highest percentage of students scoring Proficient or Distinguished since the Georgia Milestones assessment was introduced in 2015, while fifth graders nearly tripled the state's improvement in mean scale score since 2022. Biology students also outpaced the state, more than doubling statewide gains over the same period.

Social Studies

Mean scale score, Spring 2022, Spring 2025, and Spring 2026.

U.S. History students gained 20 mean scale score points since 2022, improving from 17 points below the state average to outperforming it.

Districtwide Notable Achievements:

• Since 2022, Marietta City Schools has widened its performance advantage over the state in every reported grade and subject.
• Fourth-grade math led metro Atlanta in student growth while ranking 5th in overall achievement, placing 15th statewide in Student Growth Percentile.
• Grade 8 Physical Science (a high school course taken by MCS eighth graders) ranked 1st in metro Atlanta and 19th statewide in mean scale score.
• West Side Elementary ranked 4th in Georgia in third-grade math mean scale score, with 91% of students scoring Proficient or Distinguished.
• Marietta Center for Advanced Academics ranked 2nd in Georgia in fourth-grade math mean scale score, with 98.8% of students scoring Proficient or Distinguished, and 5th statewide in fifth-grade math mean scale score.
• West Side, Marietta Center for Advanced Academics, and A.L. Burruss ranked among the top 25% of Georgia schools in both mathematics and fifth-grade science.
• Marietta Center for Advanced Academics, A.L. Burruss, Sawyer Road, and Lockheed each ranked among the top 25% of Georgia schools for fourth-grade math student growth.
• A.L. Burruss, Dunleith, Sawyer Road, and Park Street each ranked among the top 25% of Georgia Schools for fifth-grade math student growth.

For a full breakdown of results, click here.