Freedom Middle School is located in Stone Mountain, Georgia. The school is recognized as a Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) accredited public middle school. It is one of 145 schools that make up the DeKalb County Public School System. Freedom Middle School is approximately 166,000 sq. ft and houses seventy-three classrooms. It is a single complex building with no mobile units being utilized at this time. The facility is ten years old. It has three academic wings, a media center, administrative offices, cafeteria and gymnasium.

Since its doors opened in January of 2001, there has been no special designation or traditions. The community is diverse and has abundance of refugee families. More than 30 countries are represented throughout the school. There are several small to moderate sized retail businesses located within the school’s district, which is located in a suburban area consisting of single family and section eight homes.

The demographics show a high percentage of the economically disadvantaged students in all categories. Many of these students are latchkey children. They often spend several hours alone taking care of themselves as well as their younger siblings or relatives. They are responsible for making sure that homework and chores are completed. Additionally, many of their parents work two or three jobs to provide the necessities for the family. Therefore, they are not getting the proper attention and support that is required to succeed.

According to the Department of Education website, Freedom Middle did not achieve AYP for the year of 2009. The three sub-categories did not make AYP either. Freedom Middle fell short in the categories of Students with Disabilities (SWD), English Language Learners (ELL), and attendance.

Attendance was the second indicator for not making AYP. Freedom Middle is in the school Needs Improvement Year Five (NI-5). This school must offer both Public School Choice and Supplemental Education Services (Tutoring). Freedom Middle is in a State-Directed Status. This means that the State of Georgia places a full-time State Director at the school. The State Director has direct supervision of overall improvement activities until academic performance improves for two years in a row.

The ELL students need the most assistance when it comes to testing and preparation. Language barriers keep these students from meeting and exceeding academic standards. It is difficult to get accurate data to represent what part of the curriculum they understand and where they need assistance because of the language barriers that exist. This is something that needs to be addressed at the county level because many Dekalb County schools face this same dilemma.

Another struggling subgroup is Students with Disabilities. These students are improving, but still fall short of their academic goals. Accommodations for these students are clear and are strictly followed by the administering teachers. Many of the students do not comprehend the curriculum, which causes them to struggle with meeting the AYP standards. Additional training for teachers may be a key to improving the academic skills and scores of these students.

Type and Economic Level of nearby housing / Single Family Homes, Apartments and Section 8
Distance to and type of nearby retail establishments / Citi Trend, Athletics Foot, Shoeland, Dots, Payless
Distance to nearby Hospital / 7.2 miles
Closest Supermarket / Kroger on Memorial Drive
Half Gallon Mayfield 2% Milk / $2.39
Half Gallon Silk Vanilla Milk / $2.58
Dozen Eggland Eggs / $3.49
Sara Lee 100% Soft and Smooth Wheat Bread / $2.99
28oz. Jif Natural Creamy Peanut Butter / $4.39
17.2 oz. Honey Nut Cheerios / $3.99
4.4 to 5.5oz Uncle Ben’s Brown Rice / $2.33
11.25 Barilla Whole Grain Linguine / $1.99
24oz. Barilla Garden Vegetable Sauce / $3.39
Pound Ground Beef / $2.18 per lb.
Cut Whole Fryer / $3.49
6-pack domestic beer / $6.99
Distance and Closest Mall / South Dekalb Mall 10.6 miles
Distance to closest fast food / Less than 2miles
McDonalds, Wendy’s, Popeye’s
List services on three billboards / Montlick and Assoc.
Don’s Tree Removal
Ultra Sheen Hair Products
Distance and closest white table cloth restaurant / 13.1 miles
Arizona Restaurant
Distance to branch name of closest library / 8 miles
Covington Library