Atlanta-area Priority Schools
These schools rank in the lowest 5 percent of high-poverty schools in terms of academic achievement.
Atlanta Public Schools
- Connally Elementary School
- Coretta Scott King Young Women's Academy High School
- Douglass High School
- Dunbar Elementary School
- Maynard H. Jackson, Jr. High School
- Mays High School
- School of Health Sciences and Research at Carver
- School of Technology at Carver
- South Atlanta School of Health and Medical Science
- The Best Academy at Benjamin S. Carson High School
- The School of the Arts at Carver
- Therrell School of Engineering, Math, and Science
- Therrell School of Health and Science
- Therrell School of Law, Government and Public Policy
- Thomasville Heights Elementary School
Cobb
- Osborne High School
DeKalb County
- Clarkston High School
- Columbia High School
- Cross Keys High School
- Destiny Achievers Academy of Excellence
- Knollwood Elementary School
- Margaret Harris Comprehensive School
- McNair High School
- Redan High School
- Toney Elementary School
- Towers High School
Fulton County
- Banneker High School
- Hapeville Charter Career Academy
- Tri-Cities High School
Gwinnett County
- Berkmar High School
- Meadowcreek High School
Atlanta-area Focus Schools
These schools rank in the lowest 10 percent of high-poverty schools in terms of the achievement gap among high and low-performing students.
Atlanta Public Schools
- Benteen Elementary School
- Bethune Elementary School
- Boyd Elementary School
- Brown Middle School
- Centennial Place Elementary School
- Cleveland Elementary School
- Continental Colony Elementary School
- D. H. Stanton Elementary School
- Dobbs Elementary School
- Fain Elementary School
- Fickett Elementary School
- Gideons Elementary School
- Grove Park Intermediate School
- Humphries Elementary School
- Miles Intermediate School
- Parkside Elementary School
- Peyton Forest Elementary School
- Slater Elementary School
- The John Hope-Charles Walter Hill Elementary Schools
- Toomer Elementary School
- Towns Elementary School
- Young Middle School
Cobb County
- Birney Elementary School
- Clarkdale Elementary School
- Milford Elementary School
DeKalb County
- Allgood Elementary School
- Bob Mathis Elementary School
- Browns Mill Elementary School
- Canby Lane Elementary School
- Clifton Elementary School
- Columbia Middle School
- Eldridge L. Miller Elementary School
- Freedom Middle School
- Kelley Lake Elementary School
- Lithonia Middle School
- Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School
- Meadowview Elementary School
- Montclair Elementary School
- Princeton Elementary School
- Ronald E McNair Discover Learning Academy Elementary School
- Smoke Rise Elementary School
- Snapfinger Elementary School
- Stoneview Elementary School
Fulton County
- Bethune Elementary School
- Gullatt Elementary School
- Hamilton E. Holmes Elementary
- Hapeville Charter Middle School
- High Point Elementary School
- Jackson Elementary School
- Lake Forest Elementary
- Lee Elementary School
- Mount Olive Elementary School
- Nolan Elementary School
- Sandtown Middle School
- Woodland Middle School
Gwinnett County
- Rockbridge Elementary School
More than 60 Atlanta and DeKalb County public schools — including most of Atlanta’s high schools — are among those the Georgia Department of Education considers the lowest-performing in the state.
The schools appeared on the Georgia Department of Education’s list of nearly 250 “priority” and “focus” schools released Wednesday.
Those labels are the revised version of designating a school “failing” under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The lists, introduced in 2012, are based on state test scores and high school graduation rates.
Focus and priority schools receive additional federal money as well as help from state and regional school improvement experts.
“We don’t see it as a punishment,” said Morcease Beasley, who supervises curriculum, instruction and other areas for the DeKalb County Schools. “We see it as a way of getting the attention you need to get the support that you need and the resources you need.”
In a written statement, State School Superintendent Richard Woods said the state Department of Education would “work with the schools identified to ensure they have the resources they need to provide a quality education for their students.”
Priority schools are the lowest 5 percent of high-poverty schools in terms of academic achievement, as measured by multiple-year averages of state test scores and high school graduation rates.
Most of Atlanta Public Schools’ high schools appear on the priority-school list because of students’ low scores on state tests.
Other metro Atlanta high schools were named priority schools for having less than 60 percent of students graduate on time. Those include Cobb County’s Osborne High School, DeKalb’s Cross Keys High School and two Gwinnett high schools, Berkmar and Meadowcreek.
Focus schools are the lowest 10 percent of high-poverty schools based on progress closing the gap between the school’s highest- and lowest-scoring students on state tests.
Many focus schools are elementary schools. Schools in Atlanta, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett all landed on that list.
At least 10 DeKalb schools previously on the two lists have since shed those labels, Beasley said.
“I anticipate that these schools are going to see some phenomenal improvements from year to year,” Beasley said.
Many of the focus and priority schools would also be considered failing schools under Gov. Nathan Deal’s Opportunity School District bill.
That means they’re at risk of state takeover if an amendment to the state constitution receives approval by a majority of voters next year.
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