Part II: Turnaround in Terrell County

Cooper-Carver Elementary School

Cooper-Carver Elementary School in Dawson, Georgia. (Credit: Cooper-Carver Elementary School)

Aug 13, 2021
Key Points
  • Program for thousands of struggling students caves in three years.
  • Tension built between program leader and state schools chief.
  • Audit targets consultant fees and spotty oversight.
Under federal rules, each year, state officials in Georgia and across the U.S. must identify schools that rank among the lowest 5% in terms of standardized test scores, graduation rates and overall school-climate factors such as discipline issues and student-wellness programs. Georgia, like other states, has established measures and metrics to identify those schools, which historically tend to represent primarily low-income, minority and rural communities where educational hurdles stem from overarching social and economic challenges. In Georgia, 162 schools in urban areas ...