In case your relatives from outside Georgia are wondering what kind of education your kids are getting in a state that ranks close to the bottom in SAT scores, grab a copy of Newsweek magazine's list of America's Top Public High Schools.

Cobb and Marietta school districts had 10 schools ranked as tops in the nation this year by the magazine's criteria. In all, 49 Georgia high schools made the list. Inclusion was based on how well students did on academically challenging Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and Cambridge tests and participation rate. Those are indicators of a school's effort to get students to excel and prepare for college, the magazine said. While most schools relied on AP test scores, Marietta and Campbell High were judged on IB scores.

East Cobb's Walton High (109) was Georgia's highest ranking. Other Cobb and Marietta schools are: Campbell (217), Lassiter (433), Marietta (562) Wheeler (860), Harrison (867), Osborne (973), Pope (1091), Sprayberry (1101) and Kell (1166).

For more details on how the schools were chosen, go to Newsweek.com.

Bus driver honored for saving boy's life

What started out as a routine run for Cherokee school bus driver Carol Caviness on Feb. 6 turned into a day of heroism when Caviness used her training to save the life of fourth-grader Killiam Lott.

Killiam was choking on a key ring he'd swallowed. Caviness used the Heimlich maneuver to dislodge it. She will receive the Danny Hendricks valor award and a check for $500 at the Georgia Association for Pupil Transportation Conference on June 19 on Jekyll Island. Caviness becomes one of an elite group of school bus drivers to be so honored. She transports students from R. M. Moore Elementary, Teasley Middle and Cherokee High schools.

"Carol is a hero in our eyes," said Cherokee school official Gene Thomason.

Eighth-graders to follow old 'core'

State education officials have agreed to allow Cherokee's eighth-graders who took algebra I or geometry this past school year for credit in middle school to continue to follow the old Quality Core Curriculum throughout high school to graduation in 2012. Seventh-graders who took algebra I for credit would complete geometry aligned for Math I in eighth grade under the new Georgia Performance Standards and continue with the new standards through high school, under waivers requested by Cherokee officials. Accelerated middle school students would not lose credit, or face repeating material, as the state switches to new GPS standards, which integrate algebra and geometry.

Marietta students headed to D.C.

More than half a century ago, President Dwight D. Eisenhower thought of it, a way to foster world citizenship when he founded the People to People program. This fall, two Marietta students, Alexandra Eckford and Zach Sherman will travel to Washington Sept. 8-14 to take part in the People to People World Leadership Forum.

As forum delegates, they will earn high school credit while studying leadership and participating in small group discussions and exercises to learn how successful leaders develop strategies, make decisions, build consensus and foster change. Alexandra and Zach are students at Marietta Sixth Grade Academy.