My children have gone to Dawson County Schools since Pre-k. I have one child who is in the Special Needs curriculum and this school system has, with a great amount of parent /teacher involvement, educated my child and helped to determine that he is not an ADHD student, which is all the rage these days, that he in fact has a central neuro processing disorder. He doesnt take any meds. He only needs a more hands on approach to his teaching which has been custom fitted for him by the excellent teaching and administrative staff at DCHS. He will graduate this year and upon finishing his 2nd year of JR ROTC hopes to join the National Guard. As for the school in general, the student body is a very normal group of kids with no gang activity and a very low occcurrence of drug related disciplinary problems that are more common in other metro schools. For anyone to suggest that comming to this school system would subject an African American student to treatment reminiscent of the 60s is just plain ignorrant and would tend to make me question thier own racist views. This is a great school in a great school system. one of the few that I have experienced with traditional values.
—Submitted by a parent
It is amazing to me that this school received glowing remarks. My child attended this school last year, and her experience was certainly different than what is being expresses here. The only thing missing is the "whites only" signs from the 60s, but the mentality is still prevelent in this school. My daughter is an all honors student, has been since Jr high school, and excexcelled st the highest levels at Johns Creek Hs. If you're African American, stay clear of this school unless you want to be transported back ro more racist times.
—Submitted by a parent
I graduated from DHCS last year. My teachers did their job in preparing me for college as I am currently enrolled at North Georgia College and State University. However, I do agree with what I read about the sports program in a previous post. The school does put too much focus on football, especially when it has the worst winning record in the school. I played soccer at Dawson for 4 years and not one season did we have a green field. I would pay a ridiculous amount of money to sit in the stands and watch our football team lose on a perfectly green and cut field, and then come spring, our soccer team would break school records while playing in a mudpit. Overall, DCHS is a great school with plenty of opportunity for its students.
as a former student here i have to say i loved this school all the teachers are great, my faves were mrs buesey, ms jernigan,mr hoffman,and of course ms hussey
—Submitted by a parent
I am a student currently at this high school. I think it is amazing, quite wonderful. The teachers care greatly about us and our grades. I learn a lot. I'm proud of the work i acheive. This is what the school want us to aim for- achievement and pride. That's what I have.
—Submitted by a student
Dawson County Schools care deeply about their students. I think DCHS is all about letting the students strive to obtaining their goals. DCHS is an incredible school
—Submitted by a parent
I am currently attending Dawson County High and personally think it is wonderful. The whole staff is great. The teachers care a lot about their students. They do their best to lead us to be what we want to be and to have the lives we want to live. It's a great school.
—Submitted by a student
After graduating from this school, I am now attending college at Georgia Tech. This school and it's upstanding teachers do a great job of preparing students for college and other career choices. The leadership team is only making the school a better institute of learning each day, and the school has received numerous honors over the past couple of years on the state and national level. Overall, this is an excellent school and I would recommend it to anyone.
—Submitted by a former student
Before writing my own review, I read reviews the other parents wrote. One parent's review of the school was filled with spelling errors and grammatical errors, yet they had the audacity to say that Dawson County does not focus enough on academics. This school has prepared my child for college. My child is an excel student who is doing extremely well in her college classes with averages above 95 in each. She knows how to correctly use the words there and their and she knows the difference between importants, which is not a real word, and importance, unlike one parent reviewing her school. The school places focus on all extracurricular activities, athletic teams, and academics. This school is outstanding.
—Submitted by a parent
their are two different kinds of teachers at this school. The ones that care and are concerned with the students well being, and then the ones that are there for a paycheck and even go as far as letting the students know that they hate their job and that they would rather being doing something else with their life. Not enough attention is focused on the Arts, and too much is focused on the mediocre athletics teams. If an athletic team does excel and they are not related to football then little attention is paid to them. This school is just another reiteration of the importants of football with a lack of interest in academics and an extreme lack of a well rounded athletics program.
—Submitted by a former student
Community ratings and reviews do not represent the views of GreatSchools
nor does GreatSchools check their accuracy or verify the reviewers' identities.
Use your discretion when evaluating these reviews.
About these ratings
The Community Rating is the school’s average rating from its community members (e.g., parents, students, and school staff). The highest possible rating is five stars; the lowest is one star.
The state average for English Language Arts was 91% in 2011.
223 students were tested at this school in 2011.
2011
89%
2010
89%
2009
94%
Math
The state average for Math was 84% in 2011.
221 students were tested at this school in 2011.
2011
82%
2010
92%
2009
96%
Science
The state average for Science was 93% in 2011.
225 students were tested at this school in 2011.
2011
93%
2010
92%
2009
94%
Social Studies
The state average for Social Studies was 80% in 2011.
222 students were tested at this school in 2011.
2011
78%
2010
79%
2009
95%
Scale: % at or above passing
About the tests
In 2010-2011 Georgia administered the Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT) in English language arts, math, science and social studies to students in grade 11. The GHSGT is a standards-based assessment, which means it measures how well students are mastering specific skills defined by the state of Georgia. Students must pass all parts of the GHSGT in order to graduate from high school. The goal is for all students to pass the test.
In 2011-2012 Georgia administered the Georgia High School Writing Test (GHSWT) to students in grade 11. The GHSWT is a standards-based assessment, which means it measures how well students are mastering specific skills defined by the state of Georgia. Students must pass the GHSWT in order to graduate from high school. The goal is for all students to pass the test.
The state average for 9th Grade Literature was 84% in 2012.
139 students were tested at this school in 2012.
2012
88%
2011
87%
2010
82%
Algebra I
The state average for Algebra I was 63% in 2012.
2012
n/a
American Literature
The state average for American Literature was 89% in 2012.
108 students were tested at this school in 2012.
2012
92%
2011
89%
2010
91%
Biology
The state average for Biology was 73% in 2012.
124 students were tested at this school in 2012.
2012
88%
2011
81%
2010
77%
Economics
The state average for Economics was 77% in 2012.
119 students were tested at this school in 2012.
2012
82%
2011
80%
2010
81%
Geometry
The state average for Geometry was 74% in 2012.
2012
n/a
Integrated Math 1
The state average for Integrated Math 1 was 65% in 2012.
153 students were tested at this school in 2012.
2012
79%
2011
58%
2010
78%
Integrated Math 2
The state average for Integrated Math 2 was 54% in 2012.
154 students were tested at this school in 2012.
2012
63%
2011
50%
2010
43%
Physical Science
The state average for Physical Science was 78% in 2012.
141 students were tested at this school in 2012.
2012
88%
2011
85%
2010
87%
U.S. History
The state average for U.S. History was 68% in 2012.
92 students were tested at this school in 2012.
2012
89%
2011
70%
2010
73%
Scale: % meeting or exceeding standards
About the tests
In 2011-2012 Georgia administered End-of-Course Tests (EOCT) in 9th grade math levels 1 and 2, biology, United States history, physical science, American literature and economics. The EOCT is a standards-based assessment, which means it measures how well students are mastering specific skills defined by the state of Georgia. The goal is for all students to score at or above the state standard.
GreatSchools Ratings are based on the most recent standardized test results for schools.
Use the breakdown ratings below to compare types of students at this school.
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