Students at Alpharetta High, Milton High and Cambridge High are in a district posting its strongest Georgia Milestones math results in recent memory, with 57.5% of Fulton County Schools students scoring proficient or distinguished, a 2.5 percentage-point jump over last year.

Fulton County Schools released the 2025-26 Milestones data on Thursday, Aug. 6, following the Georgia Department of Education's statewide publication. Science proficiency rose to 55.8%, up 1.9 points, with Biology leading the way at 59.8% after a 3.9-point gain. Social studies reached 49.4%, also up 1.9 points.

The gains are districtwide. No school-specific breakdowns for Alpharetta, Milton or Cambridge have been published.

What the numbers mean locally

The three North Fulton high schools serve about 5,400 students combined and all earned FCS "Schools of Distinction" status for Advanced Placement in 2025-26. For families in those buildings, the Milestones data offers a mixed picture: Biology and Algebra Concepts & Connections posted strong results (59.8% and 60.6% proficient, respectively), but U.S. History, the social studies course most high schoolers take, rose just 0.4 percentage points to 45.5% proficient, with 27.6% of students still at the Beginning level.

Algebra C&C stood out across the district, according to the executive summary. Its 60.6% proficiency rate came with the highest Distinguished percentage of any math course at 36.9%, and 73.6% of students showed typical or high growth, exceeding the state's 65% benchmark.

ELA scores delayed

English Language Arts results are missing entirely from the 2025-26 release. The state is rolling out a new ELA assessment, and those scores won't arrive until late fall 2026. That gap means families won't have a full academic picture until well into the first semester.

Leaders acknowledge work ahead

Superintendent Dr. Mike Looney said the results reflect hard work across the district but acknowledged gaps remain.

"While we are proud of the progress our students have made, we also know there is more work to do to ensure every student reaches their full potential," Looney said in the district's Aug. 6 announcement.

Board of Education President Kristin McCabe said the board's "continued investment in student achievement is making a difference" but echoed the call for more progress.

What comes next

District leaders are scheduled to meet Friday, Aug. 21, to analyze the data and build action plans for 2026-27. Those plans will be presented at a public board meeting in September. The next FCS Board Work Session is Tuesday, Aug. 11, at the North Learning Center, 450 Northridge Pkwy., Sandy Springs, followed by a full board meeting Thursday, Aug. 20, at the South Learning Center.