Dougherty County Schools superintendent talks 2025 Georgia Milestones

ALBANY – Student achievement within the Dougherty County School System finds its way into nearly all community conversations, political campaigns and development meetings within the city and county. 

Politicians claim finding solutions to student literacy as a priority. Constituents brainstorm in town hall action plans to support students and teachers. Business leaders emphasize the need for an educated work force to attract new industry. 

Kenneth Dyer said DCSS is in tune with its academic challenges, especially those that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw students out of the classroom and coping with isolation and the death of loved ones. The district focuses on closing the pre-COVID achievement gap and outpacing Georgia schools in improvement over raw scores. Dyer said DCSS is intentional about providing extra support and strategy in areas that need it, especially when Georgia Milestones Assessment data is released each year. 

The 2025 GMA results were released in early August, and DCSS scores show that many of the strategies the school system has implemented are working. The GMA system is the state’s comprehensive assessment program for grades 3 through high school, measuring student mastery in content standards.

Out of 19 tested subjects, DCSS saw numbers of students who scored proficient or higher stay steady or improve in 13. The district has met, and in some cases exceeded, its pre-pandemic levels.

Third-grade ELA (English) tied for an all-time high, while fourth-grade ELA performance tied with 2019 levels.

The district also saw growth in STEM subjects like math and science with 5th-, 6th- and 8th-grade students achieving either all-time high scores or scores higher than 2019 levels. Eighth-grade social studies and U.S. history saw significant increases in proficiency.

“Overall, I’m pleased with the direction that we’re headed,” Dyer said. “We’ve seen steady improvement, so what we’re trying to do now is accelerate that improvement to close the gap between DCSS and the state even faster.” 

While celebrating its successes, Dyer said the district is also evaluating challenges revealed by GMA data. 

Grades 5 through 8 saw a decline in ELA scores and challenges with Biology scores. 

“We’re going to take a look at those areas, provide target support and get back on track there,” Dyer said. “Are we pleased with the raw results? No. But we’re pleased with the growth that we’re seeing.”

One potential solution already went into place at the start of the 2025-26 school year. The school district hired content coordinators specifically for middle school ELA. Content coordinators provide teachers with extra support in aligning content curriculum with district goals. Previously, DCSS had content coordinators for lower and upper grades, combining middle and high school grades.

Now, middle school teachers will have their own coordinators focused on their students’ needs. 

DCSS also is continuing its emphasis on early literacy. The district emphasizes literacy in the third grade. Dyer said research shows that third grade is a foundational year for literacy, setting the stage for future success in academic performance as a student moves through school. 

“And so, when you look at third grade, it tied for an all-time high in terms of academic performance, and fourth grade tied with pre-COVID levels,” Dyer said. “I think we’ll see these scores moving from third to fourth, to fourth to fifth. We’ll see that tenure of success.” 

DCSS also has expanded its pre-kindergarten programs, increasing to more than 200 pre-K slots over the last six years. Dyer said one of the school system’s greatest challenges is student access to quality early education opportunities.

“The more we increase that access to quality early education opportunities and build that foundation earlier on, then we can build academic success,” he said. 

As far as improved scores in STEM subjects, Dyer said that over the past eight years, the school district has significantly expanded its STEM opportunities, including establishing robotics teams at every school and emphasizing rigor and relevance in STEM education. This focus, combined with an early push for numeracy, has contributed to improved math and science scores. 

The creation of the Instructional Innovation team has supported the integration of instructional technology, particularly artificial intelligence, to enhance teaching and learning. With growing collaboration across departments and the continued rollout of AI resources, Dyer said the district expects to see sustained academic gains in math, science and technology.

Dyer said the path to recovery after COVID-19 is a long one. 

“It’s not going to be a one- or two-year recovery,” he said. “It’s going to be a multi-year journey, and we’re already seeing steady progress. We’re not just meeting standards, but we are actively closing the achievement gap.” 

Now, he said it’s time to turn attention to the areas that need improvement, particularly middle school ELA and Biology.