2011 Georgia Schools of Excellence Named
Twenty-six Schools Named for 2011

MEDIA CONTACTS: Matt Cardoza, mcardoza@gadoe.org, (404) 651-7358 or Keisha Ford-Jenrette, kford@gadoe.org (404) 657-2949
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December 13, 2011 -- State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge named the 2011 Georgia Schools of Excellence in Student Achievement today, honoring 26 schools that have shown the greatest improvement or highest achievement across the state. Each of these schools will receive a $1,000 check from Georgia Natural Gas to be used however they wish.

"These schools are showing that excellence can be achieved when they focus on providing a world-class education for their students," Superintendent Barge said. "I offer my sincere congratulations to our 2011 Georgia Schools of Excellence and my appreciation to Georgia Natural Gas for their continued support of our schools as the title sponsor. As we continue to deal with tough economic times, schools are always looking for ways to generate revenue to benefit their students. I would highly encourage principals and parents to consider getting their schools on board with True-Blue Schools immediately to generate much-needed money.”  To learn more about True-Blue Schools, go to www.gfpe.org.

“At Georgia Natural Gas, we've always been committed to strengthening the communities we serve,” said Georgia Natural Gas CEO Mike Braswell. “That’s why we are a Georgia Partner in Education and proud sponsor of the 2011 Georgia Schools of Excellence and Georgia Teacher of the Year programs.”

“Through our TrueBlue Schools Program, Georgia Natural Gas is also directly impacting students and teachers in the classroom by helping Georgia schools raise $2 million to pay for books, art supplies, music programs, field trips, classroom technology and anything else they may need,” Braswell said.

United Healthcare is also a sponsor for the 2011 Schools of Excellence program.

 The Georgia Schools of Excellence are honored in two categories. Qualifying schools are chosen from each Congressional District in the following categories (full criteria attached below):
- Top 10%: Schools that are in the top 10 percent in Georgia as measured by assessments in reading and mathematics.
- Greatest Gains: Schools that demonstrated greatest continuous gains in student achievement for the past three years as measured by assessments in reading and mathematics.

2011 GEORGIA SCHOOLS OF EXCELLENCE

GREATEST GAINS
Congressional District, School, System
1. Matilda Harris Elementary, Camden County
2. Potter Street Elementary, Decatur County
3. Rosemont Elementary, Troup County
4. Pine Street Elementary, Rockdale County
5. Clairemont Elementary, City Schools of Decatur
6. Sprayberry High, Cobb County
7. Level Creek Elementary, Gwinnett County
8. Heard-Mixon Elementary, Newton County
9. Settles Bridge Elementary, Forsyth County
10. Demorest Elementary, Habersham County
11. Hillgrove High, Cobb County
12. Heard Elementary, Savannah-Chatham County
13. Stockbridge Elementary, Henry County

TOP 10%
Congressional District, School, System

1. Oglethorpe Point Elementary, Glynn County
2. Westside Elementary, Lowndes County
3. Peeples Elementary, Fayette County
4. Oak Grove Elementary, DeKalb County
5. Morningside Elementary, Atlanta Public Schools
6. Vanderlyn Elementary, DeKalb County
7. Shiloh Point Elementary, Forsyth County
8. Alexander II Magnet, Bibb County
9. Vickery Creek Elementary, Forsyth County
10. Stevens Creek Elementary, Columbia County
11. Jones Elementary, Bremen City
12 Savannah Arts Academy, Savannah-Chatham County
13. Holly Springs Elementary, Douglas County

MORE INFORMATION:

Visit www.TrueBlueSchools.com to continue to strive for excellence for your school – the TrueBlue Way.

About Georgia Natural Gas Georgia Natural Gas, a division of SouthStar Energy Services, a preeminent retail natural gas marketing company operating in eight states. Based in Atlanta, SouthStar is a joint venture between AGL Resources, Inc., (NYSE:AGL) and Piedmont Natural Gas Co. (NYSE: PNY). In addition to operating in Georgia as Georgia Natural Gas, SouthStar also does business in the Carolinas as Piedmont Energy Company, in Ohio as Ohio Natural Gas, in Florida as Florida Natural Gas, and in other parts of the Southeast as SouthStar Energy Services. For more information: www.onlygng.com