Atlanta Public Schools 'Solid' - Progress to Continue

By Odette Yousef

Atlanta, GA – Atlanta public schools are making great strides. That's what schools superintendent Beverly Hall told community leaders and educators today, in her State of the Schools address.

All of Atlanta's public elementary schools made adequate yearly progress in the 2006-2007 year, as defined under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. That's the first time, and Hall says it's evidence that the system is poised to become best in class, despite negative perceptions that many people have.

HALL 4: Well, I think if people disaggregate the data, which we have done, you will see that we're actually improving at a faster rate than a lot of the state of Georgia. We're digging out of a fairly deep hole, so even though we're running faster, making great gains, it's going to take a while to catch up.

Hall, who joined the Atlanta Public Schools in 1999, made elementary schools her first priority.

In her address, she outlined the next phases. First, to transform the middle schools with a new comprehensive plan, to be hashed out by June of 2008. And, to strengthen the system's math and science programs. She says that a new 22 million dollar grant from General Electric will jumpstart that effort.