State Department of Education Identifies “Focus Schools”
The Georgia Department of Education released a list of 156 “focus schools” under the state’s new evaluation system.
These schools would’ve been classified as “Needs Improvement” under the federal No Child Left Behind law.
Focus schools can be identified two ways: a graduation rate of less than 60% over a two-year period or a wide achievement gap between the highest and lowest-performing subgroups of students.
Subgroups can be determined by race, ethnicity, special needs, or income level. Matt Cardoza, a spokesman for the Georgia Department of Education, explains the identification process.
“Say your African-American students were at a 90% graduation rate, but then your students with disabilities were at a 20% graduation rate, that kind of a gap is what can land you on a focus list,” he says.
Cardoza says focus schools will receive interventions, such as extra tutoring or professional development for teachers. Those resources will be available for three years.
Between the Atlanta Public Schools, and the Gwinnett, Fulton, Cobb, and Dekalb County school systems, a total of 39 schools made the list.
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