Hope VI Leads To Revitalization Of Atlanta School

Though not mentioned in this article, a Hope VI-funded revitalization of Atlanta's Carver Homes housing project led to the development of a school which is now being considered as a city-wide model.

2 minute read

May 24, 2007, 2:00 PM PDT

By Alex Pearlstein


Three years ago, Atlanta's Carver High School was one of the worst-performing campuses in Georgia. "Back then, only a third - a third - of Carver's seniors ever earned a high school diploma...But the New Schools at Carver, as the campus is now called, has changed all that."

"By breaking up the traditional campus into five smaller schools - each with its own student body, curriculum, principal and faculty - education officials say they've finally broken down the stubborn pattern of truancy, disrespect and low aspirations. Just one year after the conversion, Carver's graduation rate soared from a paltry 36 percent to a not-too-shabby 61 percent."

The development of the New Schools at Carver was a component of a Hope VI-funded revitalization of the formerly decrepit Carver Homes housing project. Critics of Hope VI (now essentially de-funded by the Bush Administration) often overlook the benefits the program had on the surrounding neighborhoods.

"Nearly two years after the experiment started, Superintendent Beverly Hall is so convinced smaller is better, she's 'transforming' all of the school system's high schools in the next three years using Carver - a campus that once held the demoralizing distinction of having the lowest average SAT scores in the state - as a model."

"By the 2009-10 school year, all of the city's high schools will either be broken up in like fashion or will develop 'small learning communities' where teams of teachers are assigned to a set group of students, similar to a strategy commonly used in middle school."

"Of course, the need to transform all of our nations' high schools is widely recognized. ... We are not adequately preparing young people with the skills that are needed to compete in today's marketplace," Hall said in announcing details of the plan last month. "We have an opportunity in Atlanta to set the sights high for all of our students."

"Next school year, the Office of High School Transformation, a 20-person department created to oversee the initiative, will have a budget of $5 million - up from two staff members and less than $200,000 spent this year. Much of the administrative expense will be covered by a $10.5 million, multi-year grant from the Seattle-based Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation."

Wednesday, May 23, 2007 in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Aerial view of single-family homes with swimming pools in San Diego, California.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule

The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

March 9, 2025 - Axios

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands

The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.

March 17, 2025 - The Wall Street Journal

Canadian flag in foreground with blurred Canadian Parliament building in background in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Has President Trump Met His Match?

Doug Ford, the no-nonsense premier of Canada's most populous province, Ontario, is taking on Trump where it hurts — making American energy more expensive.

March 11, 2025 - Toronto Star

Light rail train passing under apartments in Pasadena, California

California Bill Aims to Boost TOD

A bill proposed by Sen. Scott Wiener would exempt transit agencies from zoning rules near ‘high-quality’ transit stops and allow denser transit-oriented development.

6 hours ago - Streetsblog California

People walking at Pike Place Market, Seattle.

Report: One-Fifth of Seattle Households Are Car-Free

According to one local writer, the city’s low rate of car ownership should encourage officials to support public transit and reduce parking minimums.

6 hours ago - Seattle Bike Blog

Snow geese at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, California

California Lawmakers Move to Protect Waterways

Anticipating that the Trump EPA will reinstate a 2017 policy that excluded seasonal wetlands and waterways from environmental protections.

March 18 - CALmatters

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.