TIFTON — Tift County Schools unveiled the School Climate Star Ratings at its Board of Education work session on May 6.

Multiple factors go into each rating, said Jennifer Howell, who presented the ratings and explained what went into calculating each.

Data is calculated from surveys, said Howell, tailored to various grade levels. “You have to have 75% participation,” she said, for personnel surveys and student health surveys or points are taken off. No minimum percentage is needed for parent surveys, but at least 15 surveys must be submitted.

The survey scores are an average — the sum of the points given on answers, divided by the number of questions answered. This is done on all three surveys, student health, personnel and parents.

School discipline is a facet of the rating, based on records submitted to the state. Another consideration for middle and school ratings is Safe and Substance Free Schools, also from data. Attendance of students, staff, teachers and administrators goes into the ratings.

With all these aspects calculated, each Tift County school was given a climate score.

Elementary schools: Annie Belle Clark, 94.9; Charles Spencer, 92.6; G.O. Bailey, 96.1; J.T. Reddick, 93.4; Len Lastinger, 96.7; Matt Wilson, 94.6; Northside, 86.1.

Middle schools: Eighth Street, 85.2; Northeast, 83.8.

Tift County High scored 77.

“It’s not cut and dried,” said Howell of the scores. “Some of the survey percentages mean they have a low number of parents that were surveyed.”

Tift County High had the lowest survey grade and Len Lastinger had the highest. Northeast was lowest-marked among the schools for discipline and Len Lastinger was again the highest.

“Discipline can vary, based on how the incidents were coded,” she said. Two individuals may code something completely differently.

Howell said the school system is working on a code of conduct. “We’re going to try to clean up that coding” for transparency, she said. There will be training for administrators. Howell said Tift Schools will focus on culture and climate and standardize expectations.