By Chris Adams

Atlanta – The Georgia Public Policy Foundation is pleased to announce that 25 public schools have been named No Excuses Schools for 2003-2004, after demonstrating academic achievement in spite of poverty rates that exceed the state average.

The Foundation’s No Excuses Schools are compiled using a poverty index that measures how well a school is performing relative to its poverty rate: the percentage of students at a school receiving free or reduced lunches.

The No Excuses Schools that beat the odds include 21 elementary schools, three middle schools and one high school. Atlanta Public Schools dominates the list, with 10 elementary schools among the 25 No Excuses Schools. That includes the high-achieving Capitol View Elementary, where 98 percent of students met or exceeded standards in spite of a poverty rate of 89 percent.

“These schools deserve our congratulations for their achievement,” said Dr. Holly Robinson, senior vice president at the Foundation.

“The results reinforce that with highly motivated, dedicated teachers, dynamic leadership and active parent or community support – regardless of socioeconomic status or race –  the ‘no excuses’ philosophy works.

“Clearly, caring about academic gains and a focus on student achievement are the formula for success,” added Dr. Robinson, who is the Foundation’s education expert. “The millions of hits on our Web site to access this data on Georgia’s schools are one indication of parents’ concerns.”

The No Excuses Schools are drawn from the 2004 Report Card for Parents published recently by the Foundation, an independent think tank that proposes practical, market-oriented approaches to public policy to improve the lives of Georgians.

Available at www.gppf.org, the Report Card features an interactive searchable database of statistics on Georgia’s public schools. Parents are able to query the Report Card to assist them in understanding and assessing the quality of the state’s public school systems.

The list of No Excuses Schools for the 2003-’04 school year is attached.

Media: For more information on the No Excuses Schools or a school in your area, please contact Dr. Robinson at 404-256-4050 or hrobinson@gppf.org.