For the second consecutive year, Fayette has added another National Blue Ribbon School to its arsenal, bringing the county’s total Blue Ribbon Schools to five.

McIntosh High is the fifth Fayette school to earn the national designation since 1997 and one of just eight in Georgia identified in the 2007 selection.  The school earned the designation in the category of Top 10 Percent, meaning the school scored in the top 10 percent of all schools in student achievement.

“This is truly an honor for all of us at McIntosh and is a testament to the hard work of our students, teachers, parents, staff and community. It is their dedication to a high standard of learning and excellence that enabled the school to achieve this national recognition,” says Principal Tracie Fleming.

Last year Kedron Elementary received the National Blue Ribbon award. The county’s three additional schools that have earned Blue Ribbon status are Flat Rock Middle, Fayette County High and Sandy Creek High.

The No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes schools that make significant progress in closing the achievement gap or whose students achieve at very high levels. The schools are selected based on one of two criteria:

1)   Schools with at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds that dramatically improve student performance to high levels on state tests.

2)   Schools whose students, regardless of background, achieve in the top 10 percent of their state on state tests or in the case of private schools, in the top 10 percent of the nation on nationally-normed tests.

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