​This work led by the Georgia Department of Education: Office of School Improvement.

All identified Race to the Top, Lowest Achieving Schools in Georgia have selected one of the four intervention models below, as prescribed through Race to the Top:  

1. Turnaround (replace principal and remove 50% of staff)

2. Conversion to charter management organization or education management organization

• Utilizing resources made available to the LEA by the state through RT3 in a fashion that aligns with the state's plan to turn around Georgia's lowest achieving schools.
• Participating in an ongoing state-level intensive diagnostic, the Georgia Assessment of Performance on School Standards (GAPSS) to be performed by a state team of "turnaround experts"
• Maintaining a high-performing principal at the helm of the low-performing school with autonomy over staffing and budget
• Implementing the state's common evaluation system for teachers and leaders that will include qualitative, observation-based component and a significant quantitative student achievement-based component
• Pursuing meaningful partnerships to advance applied learning opportunities
• Establishing a minimum of 60 minutes per week of common planning time for teachers
• Increasing learning time for all students and increasing the amount of intervention time for student subgroups that need additional remediation
• Utilizing as least one full-time graduation coach and one full-time math coach per school. 

Schools for Turnaround

Communities in Schools (CIS) opened and operate new Performance Learning Centers (PLC) in Floyd County School System and Richmond County School System this past school year 2011-2012.  They will work with Carrollton City School System to open a PLC starting in the school year 2012 – 2013. The PLC model builds on decades of Communities In Schools experience. The model addresses the needs of students who have the potential to thrive in a supportive learning environment but are in danger of dropping out because they are unmotivated by traditional instructional methods or facing social barriers to success. PLCs incorporate individualized instruction, a computer-based curriculum, a business-like learning environment, internships, post-graduation preparation, and connections to colleges and careers.  The self-paced curriculum and low teacher-student ratio (1 to 15) helps ensure individual student success and increased opportunities for dual enrollment with colleges, vocational internships, and service learning.  Each PLC has a support staff position called a CIS site coordinator (or Site Coordinator) who works with loacl colleges and businesses to create such opportunities, and to secure mentors and tutors from the community for students when appropriate.  The PLC represents a true partnership between the local education agency (LEA), the local CIS program, and CIS of Georgia.  

Communities in Schools – Georgia: Scope of Work

Teach For America – Metro Atlanta is currently partnering with the Georgia Department of Education to increase the pipeline of effective teachers and principals to help turn around Metro Atlanta’s lowest achieving schools as outlined in GA’s Race To The Top application. Race to The Top funds will enable TFA to accelerate efforts to recruit, select, train, and provide ongoing support to the nation’s most promising future leaders. Teach For America- Metro Atlanta has corps-members placed in Atlanta Public Schools, Clayton County Schools, DeKalb County Schools, and Gwinnett County Schools.

Metro Atlanta/Teach for America