Eleven Georgia Charter Schools Named
“Title 1 Distinguished Schools”
(January 17, 2012) ATLANTA — Eleven public charter schools in Georgia that serve economically disadvantaged students have earned the designation of “Title 1 Distinguished Schools.”
They are among a total of 824 Georgia public schools to be so honored, based on their success in achieving Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for at least three consecutive years. AYP is a federal measure of academic achievement, including those with disabilities and language challenges.
Title 1 schools have significant populations of students who are economically disadvantaged and receive federal funding to assist with the education of their students. Charter schools are tuition-free public schools that are held accountable for student achievement by parents, authorizers, and the state. This accountability leads to quality schools and high student achievement.
The eleven charter schools named by State Superintendent Dr. John Barge are:
- DeKalb Path Academy – a 5-8 grade school serving a high percentage of refugee and immigrant children in the Chamblee/Doraville area of DeKalb County
- Charles R. Drew Charter School – a Pre K-8 school located in the East Lake neighborhood, part of the Atlanta Public School System
- Dunwoody Springs Elementary Charter School – a Pre K-5 school using gifted strategies to teach all students, serving DeKalb County
- Hapeville Charter Middle School – Serves grades 6-8, located in Hapeville, serving Fulton County
- Ivy Preparatory Academy – a girl’s only school for grades 6-12, located in Gwinnett County
- KIPP South Fulton Academy – Serves grades 5-8, located in East Point, and part of Fulton County Schools
- KIPP WAYS – Serves grades 5-8, located in West Atlanta, and is part of the Atlanta Pubic School System
- Neighborhood Charter Middle School – Serves grades 6-8, located in the Grant Park area, and is part of the Atlanta Public School System
- Sedalia Park Elementary School – a K-5 school serving Cobb County
- Spalding Drive Elementary School – a pre K-5 school with an emphasis on Technology in Fulton County
- Unidos – a K-4 dual language (Spanish and English) school serving Clayton County
“These outstanding public charter schools serve a population of disadvantaged students and families whose educational options are too often limited by their zip code,” said Dr. Tony Roberts, CEO and President of the Georgia Charter Schools Association (GCSA). “To be able to send their children to a high achieving public charter school can mean changing their children’s destiny. We applaud these Title I Schools for consistently raising the bar on student achievement.”
Suttiwan Cox, the Principal of DeKalb PATH Academy, commented on the honor. “The foundation of the state of Georgia is the education of its youth regardless of their linguistic, ethnic, or economic backgrounds. This designation makes us proud and proves that every child has the potential to achieve great things.”
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Nina Rubin – Media Relations
Georgia Charter Schools Association
600 W. Peachtree Street, Suite 1555
Atlanta, GA 30309
office: 404-835-8903
cell: 404-536-7339
nrubin@gacharters.org
Follow us @GAChartersRock
The Georgia Charter Schools Association is a non-profit membership organization for Georgia’s charter school operators and petitioners. Our mission is to:
Advance awareness of charter schools
Communicate charter school needs to state and local officials and support legislation to strengthen charter schools in Georgia
Build partnerships and collaborations and grassroots support for charter schools
Develop programs and services that advance student achievement, school accountability and professional learning for charter school leaders
