Foundation names county schools 'No Excuses' schools

Jenkins County schools earned three spots among the 35 schools from across Georgia announced as "No Excuses" schools at a recent news conference by the Georgia Public Policy Foundation during KIPP WAYS Academy's awards ceremony at the Georgia Tech Student Center.

The selection of No Excuses schools is based on the foundation's 2008 Report Card for Parents, available at www.gppf.org. A No Excuses school has a poverty rate above the state average of 50 percent, meets Adequate Yearly Progress as defined by the No Child Left Behind law, and has a Poverty Indicator of two or above on the Foundation's Report Card for Parents. These schools are highlighted for demonstrating the impact of highly motivated, highly qualified, dedicated teachers, dynamic school leadership and high expectations for all students.

Jenkins County Elementary School, which reported a 100 percent poverty rate among testtakers, won two spots (thirdand fifth-grade academic achievement.) Jenkins County High School, which also reported a 100 percent poverty rate, was one of just two high schools to make the list of No Excuses schools. (The other was Telfair High School.) Jenkins County Elementary School's third grade academic achievement placed it among the top 20 percent of schools overall for academic achievement.

"Again this year, the No Excuses schools show that in every corner of our state, rural and urban, schools can and do defy the odds," said Kelly McCutchen, executive vice president of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation.

"It's proof positive that all children have the ability to achieve at high levels. And it's good news for education in Georgia. Our challenge now is to make these schools the rule, rather than the exception."

The 2008 Report Card for Parents numerically ranks 1,190 public elementary schools, 486 middle schools and 380 high schools in the state by an achievement score based on the percentage of students meeting and exceeding standards. Because there is a strong link between poverty and test scores (the higher the poverty rate, the lower the test scores,) the report includes two other criteria for information purposes only. The first is the poverty rate - the percentage of students in each school who qualify for the federal free/reduced-price lunch program. The second is a poverty index that measures how well a school is performing relative to its poverty rate.

"Students, faculty and parents at these schools deserve congratulations for succeeding in bridging the education achievement gap," said Rogers Wade, president of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation. "Georgia's goal should be to make every school a 'No Excuses' school."