Nine schools in South Georgia are low performing schools | News

Albany Ga- Nine south Georgia schools are among the lowest performing schools in the state.

Three of them are in Dougherty County.

The Georgia Department of Education came up with the list as it develops a new accountability system.

The schools were designated priorities because their graduation rates and test scores are so low.

The schools on this list will carry the priority designation for three years and they'll get some state assistance toward improvement.

It was no shock to the Dougherty County Schools Administration or some school board members that three high schools landed on the state's priority list, which replaces the needs improvement label under no child left behind.

"Our three schools being on the list is extremely disappointing, but I don't think it's a surprise we've been knowing about this a good while," said Darrel Elum, DCSS Board Member.

Albany, Dougherty, and Monroe High Schools made the list, Monroe and Dougherty because of their lack of achievement over two years for all students in reading/language arts and math and Albany High because of its low graduation rate, and being on the School Improvement Grant list.

"They rated your academic gains from least to greatest so they took all the schools in Georgia and they were just layered, SIG came first, grad. rate came second, followed by academics and then they looked at the bottom five-percent and so three of our high schools did fall in the priority list," said Renee Bridges, DCSS Testing Coordinator

Dougherty County School Administrators point out just 3 of the 26 schools are in the lowest category, and at schools like Albany High School they have a state consultant working with the system and have been impressed by the progress they've seen.

"Dr. Murfree has gone out of his way to hire some key people to get in and help Albany High School and I believe we're going to see some positive results," said Elum.

The Dougherty County Schools weren't the only south Georgia schools on the priority list.  Dooly County High School, Randolph Clay High School, Americus Sumter County High School, Terrell High School, and Wilcox County High School all made the priority list.

School systems named as priority schools must submit an effectiveness plan to the state, identifying their areas of need.

Testing Coordinator Renee Bridges is going to training next week to learn more about this new school accountability plan. 

There are four different categories of accountability, priority, alert, focus and reward. 

The alert and focus school lists will come out in April. The rewards list of the top schools in Georgia will be released in the fall.