Carr Eyeing Subgroup Testing Improvements

Kwame Carr describes himself as a straight-forward, transparent and no-nonsense leader.

The 41-year-old south Atlanta resident said he envisions significant testing gains from Turner Middle School’s subgroups—black, special education and socio-economically disadvantaged students—when he takes over as principal in July.

“I think we’re going to do great things,” Carr said during a telephone interview Friday. “The at-risk child was born and lives in the minds of adults, not in the minds of children.”

On Carr's mind are Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests, which third- through eighth-grade students in Georgia’s schools are required to take. Students must meet or exceed testing requirements in a number of academic subjects. CRCT data is categorized by subgroups in determining a school’s Adequate Yearly Progress.

At its May 2 meeting, the Douglas County Board of Education announced that Carr, assistant principal at Benjamin E. Banneker High School in Fulton County, .

He will succeed Eric Collins, who is set to take over as principal at  for retiring Kay Davis.

Outside of testing, Carr said he is supporting a beautification effort at Turner Middle with the hope of garnering support to renovate its infrastructure.

“I want to bring pride back into the school,” he said. “I want to engage businesses and the community as partners in this because the spirit of the school is wonderful.”

His education career began in Fulton County Schools at Paul D. West Middle School as a math teacher. He has previously worked in Douglas County as assistant principal of Factory Shoals Middle School.

Overall, Carr has worked 13 years as a certified educational professional, mainly in middle schools.

“I was always good in mathematics,” he said. “My mom was an educator, and she taught high school. She encouraged me to go into education.”

With his departure about two months away, Collins pointed out overall improvements in student achievement during his tenure.

“We’ve had three subgroups that we pinpointed that were performing below expectations and made improvements,” he said. “One subgroup is still not making AYP but made a 12 percent improvement over the last two years.”

Parents and teachers are working hard with students to help make those gains, Collins added.

“It’s not something that can be achieved overnight. It takes a while,” he said. “If we’ve seen improvements, we feel like we’ve done a good job.”

Collins, 46, is a resident of Villa Rica with his wife and two children.

“I feel really strong about this community,” he said. “One of the things I’d like to continue is my involvement in the community both professionally and personally.”

Correction: This article originally said Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests are given through fifth grade instead of eighth.