State of Georgia Helps 1,400 Students Pass Grad Test‏

Nearly 1,400 students are a big step closer to graduation thanks to an innovative partnership between the state and local school districts.

The Exam Preparation for Science and Social Studies (ExPreSS) program was a state-funded effort aimed at students who had not passed the Georgia High School Graduation Tests (GHSGT) in Science or Social Studies. More than 2,000 students received two weeks of intensive instruction June 8-18 and then had the opportunity to retest on June 19.

The overall pass rate on this retest was 68 percent; more than double last year's pass rate on GHSGT retests in science and social studies.

"We knew that with just a little bit of focus and intensity many of these students would pass the test and be a step closer to getting their diploma," said State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox. "I'm very pleased with the results and I am grateful for the collaborative efforts of many great educators across the state."

Public high school students take GHSGTs in English language arts, mathematics, science and social studies and must pass all the exams, as well as the Georgia High School Writing Test, in order to graduate. Science and social studies are the two GHSGTs that Georgia students have struggled with the most.

Superintendent Cox heard from many school systems that, due to financial constraints, they were not able to offer extra help to high school students this summer.

"I felt that the ExPreSS program was a way that the state could directly help our students and provide our school systems with a little relief," she said.

There were 2,043 students from over 100 school districts that attended the ExPreSS program – 1,072 for social studies and 971 for science. The instruction took place at 29 sites around the state. The classes were led by 180 educators: 89 science teachers and 91 social studies teachers.

In social studies, 73 percent of the ExPreSS participants passed the retest. By comparison, the 2008 summer retest pass rate on the Social Studies GHSGT was 27 percent.

In science, 63 percent of the ExPreSS participants passed the retest. By comparison, the 2008 summer retest pass rate on the Science GHSGT was 29 percent.

"It took a lot of collaboration, teamwork and flexibility to make the ExPreSS program happen and to get these kind of results," said Superintendent Cox. "We are in the process of reviewing what went well and what we need to improve and, if the budget allows, we look forward to serving even more students next year."

In May, the State Board of Education approved up to $1.5 million in state funds to pay for all aspects of the ExPreSS program. About $900,000 of that money was to pay for teachers who received $4,000 each and may receive a $500 bonus if 80 percent or more of their students passed the retest. It is not known how many teachers will receive the bonus yet. Aside from salaries, the funding went toward supplies, transportation costs and other expenses.

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ING Announces Awards Program for Schools Nationwide

/PRNewswire/ -- ING has launched a new awards program that will provide 50 $2,000 grants to schools that desire to establish a school-based running program or expand an existing one. ING is expanding its efforts to help fight childhood obesity and introduce kids to the benefits of running, a habit of physical fitness and healthy lifestyle choices through the ING Run For Something Better School Awards Program in partnership with the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE).

"The ING Run For Something Better School Awards is a natural enhancement to ING Run For Something Better, allowing us to empower even more children nationwide with the opportunity to achieve and maintain healthier lifestyles," said Rhonda Mims, president of the ING Foundation and senior vice president, Office of Corporate Responsibility and Multicultural Affairs. Through activity plans created by NASPE and based on the National Standards for Physical Education (NASPE, 2004), the grant awards program will help offer children a healthy start to life and foster their desire to exercise before obesity ever begins. "NASPE is thrilled to partner with ING Run For Something Better to help get children more physically active," said Fran Cleland, NASPE president and professor at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. "Quality physical activity programs introduce children to the joys of movement and are truly the beginning of health care reform."

The grant awards are available in all states to public elementary or middle schools for running programs that target fifth- though eighth-grade students. Schools must implement a minimum of an eight-week running program with a culminating event by Dec. 31, 2009. Applications for the ING Run For Something Better School Awards are being accepted through June 1, 2009. Applications, including complete eligibility requirements, are accessible at www.orangelaces.com/site/index/get_your_school_involved. Public donations to ING Run For Something Better fund the school awards program.

As the sponsor of a number of premier running events in the U.S., ING has been encouraging young people to get physically fit. The company developed ING Run For Something Better in 2003 as a way to give back to local communities. The national campaign provides funding for free, school-based running programs while teaching kids about the benefits of exercise and healthy lifestyle choices. Since the program's inception, over 40,000 children have participated in ING Run For Something Better, collectively running over 1.2 million miles.

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U.S. News Media Group Names 2009 America's Best High Schools

Congratulations to Davidson Magnet School in Augusta, GA with its number 89 ranking in the nation!

Congratulations to these Georgia schools for making the list as well.

Appling County High School (Appling County)
Bowdon High School (Carroll County)
Calhoun High School (Gordon County)
Clinch County High School (Clinch County)
Columbus High School (Muscogee County)
Davidson Magnet School (Richmond County)
East Hall High School (Hall County)
Elberta Open Campus High School (Houston County)
Etowah High School (Cherokee County)
Gainesville High School (Hall County)
Greene County High School (Greene County)
Johnson Magnet (Richmond County)
Long County High School (Long County)
Margaret Harris High School (Dekalb County)
Mitchell-Baker High School (Mitchell County)
Peach County High School (Peach County)
Pierce County High School (Pierce County)
Rome High School (Floyd County)
Savannah Arts Academy (Chatham County)
Schley Middle High School (Schley County)
Seminole County Middle/High School (Seminole County)
Southside High School (Fulton County)
Telfair County High School (Telfair County)
Ware Magnet School (Ware County)
Washington-Wilkes High School (Wilkes County)
Woody Gap High/Elementary School (Union County)

/PRNewswire/ -- U.S. News Media Group today released its second annual survey of America's Best High Schools, available online at www.usnews.com/highschools and on newsstands December 8, 2008. Based on an in-depth methodology by School Evaluation Services (www.schoolmatters.com), the list recognizes more than 1,900 schools in 48 states*, up from the 1,600 schools in 40 states recognized by U.S. News in 2007. The high schools listed fall into one of four categories of distinction: Gold, Silver, Bronze, or Honorable Mention.

This year's ranking criteria include increased measures of college readiness, and the 2009 list demonstrated an 11-percent increase in the number of top-performing schools (Gold and Silver medal). This increase shows that a greater number of schools are providing students with access to college-level coursework and, more importantly, that these same students are demonstrating mastery of the coursework, which will benefit their work towards higher education.

"In just its second year, America's Best High Schools has proven to be a trusted source for educators, students, and especially parents making important decisions about their children's educational future," said Brian Kelly, editor, U.S.News & World Report. "Not only do our rankings highlight schools succeeding at the highest national level, but the Best High School package also allows communities and states to compare schools at a local level and measure why some are doing so well. This is the most comprehensive and inclusive information on hundreds of high schools nationwide."

Kelly noted the significant increase in the number of states providing information for the rankings and U.S. News' role in fostering transparency among America's most important institutions, saying, "Just as U.S. News has increased transparency in the health sector through its rankings of hospitals and health plans, and in the higher education sector through its rankings of colleges and graduate schools, its participation in the evaluation of America's high schools are helping to shine a light on how these schools prepare our children for college, and for life."

Since the release of the 2008 high school rankings, U.S. News and School Evaluation Services have developed the methodology to include the International Baccalaureate program as a measure of college readiness. In addition, an honorable mention distinction has been added to recognize schools that were able to achieve high levels of college readiness but only partially met state test performance criteria.

A high school is recognized as a top school if it:
1. Attains performance levels that exceed statistical expectations given
the school's student body, as measured by state accountability test
scores for all the school's students in the core subjects of reading
and math;
2. Achieves proficiency rates on state tests for their least advantaged
student groups that exceed state averages; and
3. Prepares its students for college, as measured by student participation
in and performance on Advanced Placement (AP) and/or International
Baccalaureate (IB) exams.



The 100 top-performing high schools were given a distinction of "Gold" and are listed numerically. The remaining 504 schools meeting all three criteria have been designated "Silver" high schools.

Additionally, 1,321 high schools were identified as "Bronze" schools for their performance on state tests. These Bronze high schools met the first two criteria of this methodology but did not meet the college-readiness criteria based on AP or IB exams. While AP and IB are by far the most widely used college-level programs in the country, there are schools that focus on providing students with access to alternative college-level programs.

Finally, 17 schools received honorable mentions. As previously described, the "honorable mention" distinction recognizes schools that were able to achieve high levels of college readiness but only partially met state test performance criteria.

Using this methodology, more than 21,000 high schools were analyzed for inclusion in the 2009 edition. Highlights of analytical findings include:

-- 604 high schools met all three of the demanding top schools criteria
(Gold and Silver categories)
-- Nearly 10 percent of top schools have minority populations of 75
percent or greater
-- Five percent of the top schools are charter schools
-- More than 75 percent of the top schools have open admissions
-- 20 percent of the top schools are located in large cities (populations
of 250,000 or more)

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