Metro Atlanta’s Top Public Schools

Every year, the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, an independent, non-partisan think-tank, analyzes and ranks more than 2,000 of Georgia’s elementary, middle and high schools for their annual “Report Card for Parents.” Elementary and middle school rankings are based on reading and math achievement scores from Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests, while graduation rates and End-of-Course-Tests across a range of subjects are used to determine high school standings. Elementary schools are ranked by third- and fifth-grade scores, middle schools by eighth-grade scores and high schools by overall average achievement scores. Below are the top-scoring third, fifth and eighth grades and high schools for each of the 24 counties in the metro Atlanta area. A listing of all schools’ achievement scores, as well as further data on poverty indicators, school spending and other factors, is available via the “Report Cards” link at gppf.org.

For additional information on individual school systems, each district’s website is provided. Visit the Georgia Department of Education site at doe.k12.ga.us for details on state curriculum and performance standards.

ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
atlanta.K12.ga.us
Third Grade: Jackson Elementary School
Fifth Grade: Brandon Elementary School
Eighth Grade: KIPP W. Atlanta Young Scholars Academy (Charter School)
High School: Grady High School

BARROW COUNTY
barrow.k12.ga.us
Third Grade: Bethlehem Elementary School
Fifth Grade: Holsenbeck Elementary School
Eighth Grade: Haymon-Morris Middle School
High School: Winder-Barrow High School

BARTOW COUNTY
bartow.k12.ga.us
Third Grade: Taylorsville Elementary School
Fifth Grade: Clear Creek Elementary School
Eighth Grade: Adairsville Middle School
High School: Woodland High School

BUFORD CITY SCHOOLS
bufordcityschools.org
Third Grade: Buford Academy
Fifth Grade: Buford Academy
Eighth Grade: Buford Middle School
High School: Buford High School

CARROLL COUNTY
carroll.k12.ga.us
Third Grade: Whitesburg Elementary School
Fifth Grade: Glanton-Hindsman Elementary School
Eighth Grade: Bay Springs Middle School
High School: Bowdon High School

CHEROKEE COUNTY
cherokee.k12.ga.us
Third Grade: Bascomb Elementary School
Fifth Grade: Mountain Road Elementary School
Eighth Grade: Freedom Middle School
High School: Sequoyah High School

CLAYTON COUNTY
clayton.k12.ga.us
Third Grade: Lake City Elementary School
Fifth Grade: Lewis Academy of Excellence (Charter School)
Eighth Grade: Rex Middle School
High School: Forest Park High School

COBB COUNTY
cobb.k12.ga.us
Third Grade: Timber Ridge Elementary School
Fifth Grade: Mount Bethel Elementary School
Eighth Grade: Dickerson Middle School
High School: Walton High School (Charter School)

COWETA COUNTY
coweta.k12.ga.us
Third Grade: Northside Elementary School
Fifth Grade: Northside Elementary School
Eighth Grade: Madras Middle School
High School: Northgate High School

DAWSON COUNTY
dawson.k12.ga.us
Third Grade: Black’s Mill Elementary School
Fifth Grade: Kilough Elementary School
Eighth Grade: Riverview Middle School
High School: Dawson County High School

CITY OF DECATUR
decatur-city.k12.ga.us
Third Grade: Clairemont Elementary School
Fifth Grade: Glennwood Academy
Eighth Grade: Renfroe Middle School
High School: Decatur High School

DEKALB COUNTY
dekalb.k12.ga.us
Third Grade: Vanderlyn Elementary School
Fifth Grade: Kittredge Magnet School
Eighth Grade: DeKalb School of the Arts
High School: DeKalb School of the Arts

DOUGLAS COUNTY
douglas.k12.ga.us
Third Grade: South Douglas Elementary School
Fifth Grade: Brighten Academy (Charter School)
Eighth Grade: Chapel Hill Middle School
High School: Alexander High School

FAYETTE COUNTY
fayette.k12.ga.us
Third Grade: Braelin Elementary School
Fifth Grade: Huddleston Elementary School
Eighth Grade: Rising Starr Middle School
High School: Starrs Mill High School

FORSYTH COUNTY
forsyth.k12.ga.us
Third Grade: Daves Creek Elementary School
Fifth Grade: Big Creek Elementary School
Eighth Grade: Riverwatch Middle School
High School: South Forsyth High School

FULTON COUNTY
fulton.k12.ga.us
Third Grade: Shakerag Elementary School
Fifth Grade: Findley Oaks Elementary School
Eighth Grade: River Trail Middle School
High School: Northview High School

GILMER COUNTY
gilmer.k12.ga.us
Third Grade: Oakland Elementary School
FFifth Grade: Ellijay Elementary School
Eighth Grade: Clear Creek Middle School
High School: Gilmer High School

GWINNETT COUNTY
gwinnett.k12.ga.us
Third Grade: Simpson Elementary School
Fifth Grade: Suwanee Elementary School
Eighth Grade: Alton C. Crews Middle School
High School: Brookwood High School

HALL COUNTY
hall.k12.ga.us
Third Grade: Wauka Mountain Elementary School
Fifth Grade: Mount Vernon Elementary School
Eighth Grade: C. W. Davis Middle School
High School: North Hall High School

HENRY COUNTY
henry.k12.ga.us
Third Grade: Austin Road Elementary School
Fifth Grade: East Lake Elementary School
Eighth Grade: Union Grove Middle
High School: Union Grove High School

JACKSON COUNTY
jackson.k12.ga.us
Third Grade: East Jackson Elementary School
Fifth Grade: West Jackson Intermediate School
Eighth Grade: West Jackson Middle School
High School: Jackson County High School

LUMPKIN COUNTY
lumpkin.k12.ga.us
Third Grade: Lumpkin County Elementary School
Fifth Grade: Long Branch Elementary School
Eighth Grade: Lumpkin County Middle School
High School: New Lumpkin County High School

CITY OF MARIETTA
marietta-city.k12.ga.us
Third Grade: Marietta Center for Advanced Academics
Fifth Grade: Marietta Center for Advanced Academics
Eighth Grade: Marietta Middle School
High School: Marietta High School

NEWTON COUNTY
newton.k12.ga.us
Third Grade: Mansfield Elementary School
Fifth Grade: Mansfield Elementary School
Eighth Grade: Indian Creek Middle School
High School: Alcovy High School

PAULDING COUNTY
pauldking.k12.ga.us
Third Grade: Floyd L. Shelton Elementary School
Fifth Grade: Floyd L. Shelton Elementary School
Eighth Grade: Sammy McClure Sr. Middle School
High School: East Paulding High School

PICKENS COUNTY
pickens.k12.ga.us
Third Grade: Jasper Elementary School
Fifth Grade: Harmony Elementary School
Eighth Grade: Pickens County Middle School
High School: Pickens County High School

ROCKDALE COUNTY
rockdale.k12.ga.us
Third Grade: Lorraine Elementary School
Fifth Grade: Honey Creek Elementary School
Eighth Grade: General Ray Davis Middle School
High School: Salem High School

WALTON COUNTY
walton.k12.ga.us
Third Grade: Sharon Elementary School
Fifth Grade: Loganville Elementary School
Eighth Grade: Youth Middle School
High School: Loganville High School

Source: Georgia Public Policy Foundation Report Card for Parents, 2009 Edition (based on 2008 data)