Summary:
Carver Elementary School is the only public school in Wadley, Georgia, serving grades PK through 5 with 197 students in the Jefferson County district. This high-poverty school, where 100% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch, has shown remarkable recent progress, jumping from the 20th to the 50th percentile in state rankings over the past year.
The most impressive gains are in mathematics. Third-grade math proficiency nearly doubled from 37.5% to 73.3%—now 25 points above the state average and more than 40 points above the district average. Fourth-grade math also improved significantly, from 33.3% to 57.7%, now exceeding both district and state benchmarks. However, 5th-grade math dipped slightly to 29.6%, remaining below state averages, suggesting improvement efforts are strongest in early grades. Science remains a challenge, with only 21.4% of 5th graders proficient compared to the state's 44.2%. Based on the most recent available data (2024-2025), English Language Arts proficiency was very low across all grades, ranging from 8.3% in 3rd grade to 20.0% in 4th grade; current-year ELA scores will be released in December.
The school benefits from substantial resources, including $20,302 per-student spending and an 11.5:1 student-teacher ratio, which supports individualized instruction. Chronic absenteeism stands at 17.8%, notably better than the district's 21.9% and essentially matching the state average. While the school's overall trajectory is positive—particularly in early-grade math—significant work remains in Science and ELA. The favorable student-teacher ratio, improving rankings, and relatively strong attendance provide a solid foundation for continued growth, and the upcoming ELA results will be critical to understanding whether the school's upward momentum extends across all core subjects.
Thank you for your feedback!