Georgia Charter Schools Association congratulates Centennial Academy (Focus), Hapeville Charter Middle School (Focus) and Hapeville Charter Career Academy (Priority). These three charter schools scored high enough on the College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) to exit state Priority and Focus lists.
On the 2017 CCRPI, Centennial Academy’s score increased by more than 20 points. The school received an overall score of 82.3 – beating both the Atlanta Public School district and state averages.
Hapeville Charter Middle School’s CCRPI score rose by more than 10 points in 2017 to 68.1. Hapeville Charter Career Academy’s CCRPI score climbed by more than 13 points to 68.7 in 2017.
The Georgia Department of Education was required to identify Focus and Priority schools as part of the state’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act waiver. According to the department, Priority Schools represent the lowest-performing 5 percent of Title I schools based on achievement data. Priority schools also have low graduation rates for two years in row. Focus Schools are the lowest-performing ten percent of Title I schools in the state based on “achievement gap data.” That data compares the gap between a school’s lowest performing students and the state average. It also examines the progress those students are making.
A total of 61 schools excited the Focus and Priority lists. The Georgia Department of Education says it does not plan to identify any new Focus or Priority schools as the state transitions to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). During the next school year, the department will begin identifying and supporting Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) schools. In the 2019-20 school year, the state of Georgia will be required to identify and assist Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) schools. The criteria to determine which schools would be identified as CSI or TSI schools are proposed in Georgia’s draft ESSA plan, which is currently awaiting approval from the U.S. Department of Education.
