The Effingham County School System continues to hold high rankings compared to other school districts across the state on CRCT scores for first through eighth graders.

In fifth grade reading, Effingham’s scores were 16th among school districts in the state and eighth grade reading scores were 27th highest in the state out 189 school districts.

Assistant Superintendent Greg Arnsdorff said the number of districts varies by grade, according to what the state reports as a school district, including the Department of Juvenile Justice and special entities such as state schools. There are 181-189 districts varied by grade level.

“In English/language arts, you will see a range some stronger than others,” he said, “but particularly look at fifth, sixth and eighth grade —19, 20 and 21 highest ranked districts in the state.”

He said there has been an academic coach helping with math instruction, and that has helped the systems test results.

“Even in the area of eighth grade math, where we had all those problems around the state this year, when you look at how we do compared to everyone else in the state, we were still the 33rd highest ranked district out of 189 school districts,” Arnsdorff said.

“Science is pretty much a strong showing across the board particularly in the areas of sixth and seventh grade science,” he said.

He said there was an academic coach in the science as well, but because of budget cuts that position has been left vacant this year.

Arnsdorff told Effingham Board of Education members that there are other districts with more resources that don’t do as well as Effingham.

“That’s a tribute to our teachers, our instructional staff, parapros, everyone in our buildings who are all working in the same direction to provide the best quality education, our administrators who keep an academic focus, and certainly the support of the board by giving us the resources that we’ve been talking about here today,” he said.

Superintendent Randy Shearouse said the district has made progress in middle school math.

“I just want to comment on the math scores in the sense of the district making progress because middle school math scores have been an area of great concern,” he said. “Hopefully that will keep progressing as they move up to high school.”