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State Report Card Released; 279 Schools Awarded

MEDIA CONTACTS:  - Governor’s Office of Student Achievement: Kathleen Mathers,  kmathers@gov.state.ga.us , (404) 463-1160  - Georgia Department of Education: Dana Tofig,  dtofig@gadoe.org , (404) 463-1487      NOVEMBER 19, 2008 -- Governor Sonny Perdue and State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox announced today that more than 275 Georgia public schools are being recognized for improvement and achievement during the 2007-2008 school year.     The schools are being recognized under Georgia's Single Statewide Accountability System (SSAS), which awards schools based on their performance on state curriculum exams and Adequate Yearly Progress status.     "These awards are just one way to say ‘thank you’ and ‘great job’ to the principals, teachers, parents and students at these schools," said State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox. “This type of achievement and improvement doesn’t happen unless everyone is focused on the goal of providing a quality education to every student.”     The awards are being announced as part of the release of the  2007-2008 K-12 Public Schools Report Card . The recognized schools will receive a letter and a banner announcing the award.     "Governor Perdue and I are pleased to recognize schools that the data shows are getting great results," said Jennifer Rippner Buck, Executive Director of the Governor's Office of Student Achievement. "Congratulations to the staff and students at these 279 schools that are leading the state in student achievement and student improvement."     The schools are awarded on four levels -- Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze -- in two categories (see full criteria below):     -  Greatest gains : Schools that showed the greatest improvement in scores on the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) or the Georgia High School Graduation Tests (GHSGT)     -  Highest performance : Schools that demonstrated the highest achievement on the CRCT or GHSGT      There were eight schools this year that received awards for both Greatest Gains (GG) and Highest Performance (HP):  - Dacula High School, Gwinnett County (Platinum GG, Bronze HP)  - Eagle’s Landing High School, Henry County (Platinum GG, Bronze HP)  - Fort Daniel Elementary School, Gwinnett County (Platinum GG, Bronze HP)  - Gainesville High School, Gainesville City (Gold GG, Silver HP)  - Hillgrove High School, Cobb County (Silver GG and HP)  - North Forsyth Middle School, Forsyth County (Platinum GG and Bronze HP)  - Riverwood High School, Fulton County (Silver GG and HP)  - South Forsyth Middle School, Forsyth County (Platinum GG, Silver HP)   EDITOR’S NOTE: These awards are different than the  Georgia Schools of Excellence , which were announced on November 21.    ABOUT THE REPORT CARD and SCOREBOARD      The 2007-2008 K-12 Public Schools Report Card contains data and information on every school and school district in Georgia. A joint effort between the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) and the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE), the annual report card includes the following information:     - Scores on state and national tests     - Data on student enrollment and demographics     - Graduation rates and dropout rates     - Information on school and district personnel and finances     Today, the first phase of the data is being released. The report card will be populated with more information in the coming weeks and months.     GOSA is also releasing today the  2007-2008 Georgia Education Scoreboard , which provides the public with a straightforward look at data for all levels of education, including K-12. The Georgia Education Scoreboard serves as the cover to the report card.   AWARDED SCHOOLS   -  Highest Performance  -  Greatest Gains    MORE INFORMATION   -  2007-2008 K-12 Report Card  -  About the Report Card  -  About the Scoreboard
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