Fayetteville Elementary, North Fayette Elementary, Bennett’s Mill Middle and Flat Rock Middle schools are among the 173 Georgia Title I schools that made the Title I Reward Schools list for 2019-2020 based on test score data from 2018-2019 school year, according to information released from the Georgia Department of Education.
Schools receive one of two designations: Reward Schools, Title I schools that are making the greatest improvements; and Distinguished Schools, the highest performing Title I schools in Georgia.
Fayetteville Elementary made the Reward Schools list. Reward Schools are among the greatest-improving 5 percent of Title I Schoolwide schools and Title I Targeted Assistance schools. Reward Schools also have to maintain the performance of their economically disadvantaged students, students with disabilities, and English learners to be recognized. Only 86 schools in the state made the Reward Schools list.
Bennett’s Mill Middle, Flat Rock Middle and North Fayette Elementary schools are on the Distinguished Schools list. Distinguished schools are among the highest-performing 5 percent of Title I Schoolwide schools and Title I Targeted Assistance schools. These schools are among 87 in Georgia that made the Distinguished Schools list. — Story provided by the Fayette County School System
Why is this considered an achievement? The basic principles of Title 1 state that schools with large concentrations of low-income students will receive supplemental funds to assist in meeting students’ educational goals. Low-income students are determined by the number of students enrolled in the free and reduced lunch program.
Since Fayette County has a higher per capita income than surrounding counties, a lot of these students are coming in from other counties and illegals living within the county. Why are we proud that we have a large ratio of low income students in these schools?