So. GA has 11 "No Excuses" Schools - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

GEORGIA PUBLIC POLICY FOUNDATION NEWS RELEASE

Atlanta – The Georgia Public Policy Foundation announced that 35 schools from 19 school systems across the state have been identified as 2010 "No Excuses" Schools in the Foundation's 2010 Report Card for Parents.

The selection of No Excuses schools is based on the Foundation's 2010 Report Card for Parents, which is available at http://gppf.org/pub/edrc2010.htm.

A No Excuses school has a poverty rate above the state average of 51 percent, meets Adequate Yearly Progress as defined by the No Child Left Behind law, and has a Poverty Indicator of 2 or above on the Foundation's Report Card for Parents.

These schools are highlighted for demonstrating the positive effect of highly motivated, highly qualified, dedicated teachers, dynamic school leadership and high expectations for all students.

"We're proud to honor the commitment of these schools and the drive of these students," said Kelly McCutchen, president of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation.

"The leadership and faculty in these schools know that a good education is the difference between a childhood of poverty and a lifetime of poverty. They demand academic achievement, they accept no excuses and they're rewarded with student success."

McCutchen released the names of the No Excuses schools at a news conference at Clayton County's Lake City Elementary School, which was selected to highlight the school's commitment to student achievement in 2009 even as the Clayton County Public Schools system struggled with a nine-month loss of accreditation and Board of Education conflict.  

Ranked in the Foundation's 2010 Report Card for Parents as 243 in the state overall for fifth-grade academic achievement out of 1,212 elementary schools, Lake City Elementary is a leader among the No Excuses schools – schools that have above-average percentages of low-income students with significantly higher academic scores than statistical projections.

The school, opened in 1957, serves the most culturally diverse population of students in the district. Led by Principal Kelly Veal, a staff of 40 certified teachers instructs more than 500 students in 31 classrooms. 

The school has been named a Title I Distinguished School. The award is given to Title I eligible schools that meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for at least three consecutive years. Lake City has met AYP for seven consecutive years.

Systems with the highest number of 2010 No Excuses honors include Atlanta Public Schools (10), Dougherty County (six) DeKalb County (four). Last year's list totaled 44 mentions; in 2008, 42 were mentioned.

This year's Report Card for Parents ranks 1,219 elementary schools based on third grade test scores, 1,212 elementary schools based on fifth grade test scores, 507 middle schools based on eighth grade test scores and 357 high schools based on End-Of-Course-Test scores and graduation rates.

Because there is a strong link between poverty and test scores (the higher the poverty rate, the lower the test scores), the report includes two other criteria for information purposes only. The first is the poverty rate – the percentage of students in each school who qualify for the federal free/reduced-price lunch program.

The second is a poverty index that measures how well a school is performing relative to its poverty rate.

2010 "No Excuses" Schools

 

More about the Georgia Public Policy Foundation: The Foundation is an independent, state-based think tank that proposes practical, market-oriented approaches to public policy to improve the lives of Georgians. The Foundation's regular events include Leadership Breakfasts and Policy Briefing Luncheons. Weekly publications are the Friday Facts and Friday Idea commentaries.

Visit http://www.gppf.org to read about innovative solutions to the state's challenges or to watch streaming online video of Foundation events. Join the Foundation's Facebook Fan Page or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/gppf.