In the 2011-12 school year Criterion-Referenced Competency Test results released Thursday, the Fulton County School System beat the state average in every category except seventh-grade math, which Georgia clipped by two-tenths of a percent but which was a three-point increase over the county’s 2010-11 score.

Fulton scores, ranging from 75.8 to 97.0 meeting or exceeding standards, improved since last year in every category except third-grade science, which dipped one point to 81.1, sixth-grade English and language arts, which fell four-tenths of a point to 93.4, and eighth-grade reading, which declined by one-tenth of a point to 97.0.

Although beaten by the state in all categories, the Atlanta Public Schools system boosted its scores in 22 out of 30 categories, including a jump in sixth-grade reading from 85.6 to 92.2 percent meeting or exceeding standards.

The system also broke 90 percent in seventh- and eighth- grade reading, English and language arts, while improving its sixth-grade social studies score nearly six points from 50.4 to 56.1.

Individual school scores will be released by July 12, according to Georgia School Superintendent John Barge.

He said in a statement he is pleased by the results of the standardized test, administered in April.

“The best news in the 2012 CRCT report is that more of our students are exceeding the standards,” said Barge. “Teachers are doing a great job teaching the more rigorous Georgia Performance Standards and they are to be applauded for raising expectations for all students.”

However, not all scores were a cause for celebration.

“While I am pleased to see an increase in the majority of the exams, I am concerned about those where we saw decreases or no change at all,” said Barge. “As we begin teaching the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards next school year, we know the curriculum and the tests will be more difficult, so we must continue to focus on successfully implementing the new standards. We have been offering, and will continue to offer, teachers the necessary professional development to ensure they are equipped to deliver these new, more rigorous standards and to prepare our students for the next step.”

The CRCT measures how well students acquire the skills and knowledge described in the Georgia Performance Standards. This information is used to diagnose strengths and weaknesses of instruction in those standards and to gauge the quality of education throughout Georgia.

State law requires that students in third, fifth, and eighth grade meet or exceed expectations on the CRCT in reading in order to be promoted.

Fifth- and eighth-grade students also must meet or exceed expectations on the CRCT in math.

On the web: http://bit.ly/KY3Ipp