Two Gordon County schools were recently recognized for improvement in test scores during the 2010-11 school year.

Sonoraville Middle School and Tolbert Elementary School are among 370 schools in Georgia awarded by Gov. Nathan Deal for demonstrating improvement and/or achievement on state curriculum exams and Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) status, according to the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement.

The schools were rated on four levels, platinum, gold, silver and bronze in two categories, “Highest Performance” and “Greatest Gains.”

The” Greatest Gains” awards were given to 111 schools in the state for significant improvement on the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) or the Georgia High School Graduation Tests (GHSGT). Sonoraville Middle School received the gold award in this category, and Tolbert Elementary School received the bronze award, said Gordon County Schools Superintendent Dr. Bill McCown.

“I am very proud of Sonoraville Middle and Tolbert Elementary schools for receiving these awards,” said McCown. “The principals and teachers at these schools have concentrated on the learning styles of every student and created schools that are learning organizations with high expectations and great results.”

Sonoraville earned the gold award for meeting AYP standards for two consecutive years, having more than 30 percent of students exceed standards on state curriculum exams and placing in the 97th percentile of greatest test scores gains in the state. Tolbert received the bronze award for making AYP, being taken off “needs improvement” status and having more than 20 percent of students exceed standards. Additionally, the school also placed in the 95th percentile of greatest gains, according to Georgia’s Single Statewide Accountability System (SSAS).

The “Highest Performance” award was given to 259 schools in the state for high achievement, according to Governor’s Office. No Gordon County or Calhoun City Schools are in this group.

The awards are being announced as part of the release of the 2010-2011 K-12 Public Schools Report Card created by the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement. The report card provides information about Georgia’s schools, educator licensing and accreditation, according to a press release from the Governor’s Office.