38 Schools Removed from Priority and Focus Schools Lists 
MEDIA CONTACT: Matt Cardoza, GaDOE Communications Office, (404) 6517358, mcardoza@gadoe.org 
December 18, 2014  The Georgia Department of Education today announced that 38 out of 235 schools have exited the Priority and Focus Schools lists. 
As part of the waiver from No Child Left Behind, the GaDOE was required to identify Priority Schools and Focus Schools, which were determined based on achievement data from all core content areas, graduation rate data, and gap between the highest performing and lowest performing subgroups based on achievement and graduation rate data. 
"This announcement is great news and cause for celebration for these 38 schools," State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge said. "The educators in these schools and districts have taken this hard work very seriously, and the outcomes are benefiting thousands of students across the state." 
The following schools were removed from the Priority and Focus Schools lists because they no longer meet the definition of a Priority or Focus School and they met the required achievement criteria: 
a. Schools identified for achievement have decreased the percent not proficient by 18% 
 
 b. Schools identified for graduation rate have increased the graduation rate by 8% at the school level or at the subgroup level 
PRIORITY SCHOOLS  A Tier I or Tier II school under the School Improvement Grants (SIG) program that is using SIG funds (1003(g)) to implement a school intervention model;  A Title I participating high school with a graduation rate less than 60 percent over two years; or  A Title I school in the state based on the lowest achievement of "all students" group in terms of proficiency on the statewide assessments and has demonstrated a lack of progress on those assessments over three years in the "all students" group. 
FOCUS SCHOOLS  A Title I participating high school with a graduation rate less than 60 percent over two years; or  A Title I school that has the largest within-school gaps between the highestachieving subgroup or subgroups and the lowest-achieving subgroup or subgroups or, at the high school level, has the largest within-school gaps in graduation rates ("within-schoolgaps" focus school).  May not be identified as a Priority School. 
 
 -------------------------------------------Matt Cardoza Director of Communications Georgia Department of Education 2062 Twin Towers East 205 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive SE Atlanta, GA 30334 (404) 651-7358 mcardoza@doe.k12.ga.us http://www.gadoe.org