In the recently-released report card data from the Alabama State Department of Education, Cullman County Schools had overall score improvements at 23 of our 28 schools. With a district-level score of 89, Cullman County is tied with Madison County for first place among county school systems in North Alabama, and ranks fourth among county school districts in the entire state.
When you begin to look at the individual criteria that makes up the overall score, one area in which Cullman County excelled is Academic Growth. The district has a perfect score of 100 percent.
“I am really excited that our district had 100 percent growth,” said Dr. Shane Barnette, Cullman County School Superintendent. “This means regardless of where our students came to us academically, we helped them achieve more. Our teachers are helping them learn, even in cases where a student may have special needs or is struggling by living in poverty.”
The Cullman County School District has a free/reduced lunch rate of 69.17 percent, and more than 23 percent of our students require Special Education services. “We have some unique challenges in our district, and some would think those numbers would be reason enough to settle, but we’re never satisfied,” said Dr. Barnette. “We are only three points away from being the top county system in the state. More importantly, when you look at the challenges some of our students battle every day, and then you look at the progress we’ve made, I’m very proud of where we are as a school system. This is the core of our vision,” said Dr. Barnette.
The Cullman County Schools vision statement, which is part of our five-year strategic plan, reads as follows: Cullman County Schools, in partnership with our community, will be the driving force to empower all students with skills and knowledge that are vital to becoming responsible, successful, well-rounded citizens in a rapidly changing society.
For a complete breakdown of district and school report card data, visit alabamaachieves.org.