Gwinnett Daily Post

Seven elementary schools with the Gwinnett County Public School System ranked first or second in the state in student achievement on the Georgia Department of Education fifth-grade writing test.

A group of principals from all seven schools stood before the Gwinnett County School Board Thursday night in recognition of the accolades.

"We stand before you tonight representing 6,651 tremendous writers from seven different schools," said Riverside Elementary Principal Craig Barlow.

"Making writing a top priority every day helps students learn how to creatively use their words or express their ideas in a clear and concise way," Barlow said.

In the category of Mean Scaled Score, Brookwood Elementary ranked first followed by Simpson Elementary and Camp Creek in a tie for second place.

In the Exceeds Percentage category, Simpson Elementary ranked first in the state, while Brookwood took second place.

For Percentage Meeting and Exceeding the standard, Parsons Elementary and New Life Academy tied for first place in the state with 100 percent passing average.

Puckett's Mill and Camp Creek tied for second place with 99 percent of their fifth-grade students meeting the assessment's passing standard.

Dale Robbins, associate superintendent for teacher and learning support, said administrators "view these results as a reflection of academic rigor across the curriculum that incorporates analysis, synthesis and critical thinking."