The top reported proficiency rate is 61% in Social studies. The lowest is 15% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Andrea B Williams Elementary School
Andrea B Williams Elementary School is a small elementary school serving grades one through five in Savannah, on Wheaton Street. It sits in one of the district's most economically challenged neighborhoods: nearly all students qualify for free or reduced price meals, and the school serves a predominantly Black student body. The enrollment is small for its grade band and relatively stable across grades.
State assessment results show that Andrea B Williams is currently running well below proficiency benchmarks across reading, math, and science. In reading, proficiency sits in the low teens across all tested grades. Math proficiency ranges from low teens to low twenties by grade. Science proficiency in fifth grade is slightly better but still modest. These numbers represent the school's actual performance on Georgia's end-of-grade assessments in the 2024-25 school year. The data available shows only one year of testing, so trend information is not present; a parent may want to ask the school directly about whether these results reflect recent changes in instruction or sustained patterns. All tested grades show similar low proficiency rates, which suggests the challenge is systemic rather than grade-specific.
The district has undertaken a major shift toward Science of Reading instruction at all elementary schools, adopting new curricula and training teachers in reading pedagogy aligned with current literacy research. This initiative is district-wide and affects every K-5 classroom, including Andrea B Williams. The shift is recent and ongoing, so the impact on proficiency may not yet be fully visible in test scores.
Savannah-Chatham County is in active growth mode, with significant employment expansion and residential development, especially in western areas like Pooler. The district has passed a major capital referendum to fund a new high school, school buildings, and renovations across its portfolio, including upgrades to existing schools. The Long-Range Facilities Plan is realigning attendance zones to manage overcrowding in growth areas and underutilization elsewhere. These structural changes are part of the district's response to rapid regional growth driven by manufacturing, logistics, military, and healthcare employment. Andrea B Williams, located in Savannah proper, is not directly affected by the western-county rezoning, but it operates within a district undergoing substantial infrastructure and curriculum overhaul.
The school's location in Savannah places it in a historic coastal city with strong walkability in the downtown core, a robust public square system, and a mixed economic profile. The immediate neighborhood around Wheaton Street is economically modest, as reflected in the student population. Housing values in the zip code show year-over-year decline, and rental affordability is a concern relative to local incomes. This is not the affluent historic district but rather a working-class neighborhood of the larger city.
For a family considering Andrea B Williams, the relevant picture is a small, neighborhood elementary school with very low current proficiency in reading and math, serving a high-poverty student body, in a district that is actively working to improve literacy instruction through new curriculum and training. The school is part of a district-wide transformation rather than operating independently, and it sits within a city experiencing substantial regional growth and economic change. Families should understand the current test performance clearly and ask the school about literacy coaching, early intervention supports, and how the new Science of Reading curriculum is being implemented at this specific building.
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