The top reported proficiency rate is 83% in Social studies. The lowest is 26% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Roan Elementary School
Roan Elementary School serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade students in Dalton, a mid-sized northwest Georgia city known as the Carpet Capital of the World, with a manufacturing-driven economy and a notably multicultural population. The school enrolls a diverse student body: the majority of students are Hispanic or Latino, with smaller shares identifying as Black or white, and a substantial majority qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school sits within Dalton Public Schools, which recently adopted a new core literacy curriculum as the centerpiece of its district-wide "Dalton Reads!" initiative aimed at getting all students proficient in reading by the end of fifth grade. This represents a multi-year pedagogical shift affecting how reading and writing are taught in every classroom.
Academic performance at Roan is a clear area of concern. Proficiency rates on Georgia's End-of-Grade assessments in early grades are quite low. In third grade, roughly one in four students demonstrate proficiency in math, and the rate in English language arts drops to fewer than one in five. Fourth grade shows similar patterns, with proficiency in math below a third and in reading well below one in five. Performance improves at the fifth-grade level, where math proficiency reaches roughly a third and reading reaches near half; science proficiency in fifth grade is around half. These results place the school at the bottom of the performance range relative to other districts in Whitfield County, suggesting the school's overall academic proficiency index sits below most comparable elementary schools in the region.
The gap between lower grades and fifth grade is notable. One interpretation is that upper-elementary instruction, or cumulative learning by that point, is producing better outcomes, though the data do not explain whether this reflects gains made at Roan itself or gains accumulated elsewhere. The new literacy curriculum now in place district-wide may shape future results, particularly in the lower tested grades where the need is greatest.
Roan is a modestly-sized school for its grade span, with enrollment spread across early childhood, kindergarten, and grades one through five. The school body is predominantly low-income. In May 2022, Whitfield County voters approved a five-year sales tax for education, with Dalton Public Schools allocated funds for capital projects including HVAC upgrades and renovations specifically at Roan. Those improvements are part of ongoing district investment in the school's physical plant.
Dalton itself offers a working-class community anchored by carpet manufacturing, with a downtown historic district and civic life that include a public library with Spanish-language resources, parks and recreation programming, and access to major employers in floor covering and healthcare. Housing in the area is relatively affordable compared to state and national benchmarks. The city is car-oriented outside its walkable downtown core, and schools are accessed primarily by car from residential neighborhoods. Growth has been modest but steady, with new multifamily housing and workforce development initiatives underway.
A parent considering Roan should look closely at the early-grade proficiency numbers and the school's reading instruction going forward. The district's new literacy approach is a meaningful commitment to addressing reading outcomes, and the school has received capital investment. However, current test results show real academic challenges, particularly in third and fourth grades and in English language arts across the board. A parent may want to ask the school directly about how it is implementing the new curriculum, what early literacy supports exist for younger readers, and what the school's own data show about reading development by semester or quarter. The peer environment will be predominantly low-income and Hispanic or Latino, which reflects Dalton's demographics and creates a particular community of families, not a plus or minus in itself but a clear characteristic to understand and value.
See more original research from School Decision →