Bleckley Success Academy identified as needing targeted support by Georgia DOE

The Bleckley County Success Academy, a remedial school that provides online instruction for students in 3rd through 12th grade, was placed on the Georgia Department of Education’s Targeted Support and Improvement list. 

Federal law requires the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) to release the list annually in order to identify schools with one or more consistently underperforming subgroups. 

The Success Academy was categorized under “economically disadvantaged students,” meaning these students are academically underperforming. 

The school serves around 70 total students, according to National Center for Education Statistics data from the 2023-2024 school year. All students that year were eligible for free lunches.

Bleckley Schools Superintendent Trey Belflower said that, despite the school’s placement on the TSI list, faculty and staff remain devoted to “ensuring every student has the opportunity to succeed.” 

“Bleckley County Success Academy serves a small number of high school students, which means that even a few students can significantly impact our data,” Belflower said. “While the state has identified our economically disadvantaged student group as an area of focus, we remain proud of the progress and achievements of all our students.”

This year, 74 schools were placed on the TSI list by GaDOE. 

According to GaDOE, “federal requirements mean school districts are charged with providing supports to TSI schools, while the state provides professional learning and targeted technical assistance.”

Schools are eligible to exit the TSI list once no student subgroups are determined to be underperforming. This year, three schools made the necessary improvements to exit the TSI list.

Also this year, Bleckley County Primary School, Elementary School and Middle School have each been named Title I Distinguished Schools by GaDOE. This recognition places these schools among the top 5% of the highest-performing Title I schools in Georgia based on excellence in English Language Arts and math achievement on statewide assessments. A Title I school receives supplemental financial assistance in order to support children from low-income families.