Alice Coachman Elementary School is the Dougherty County School System’s newest five-star school, according to the Georgia Department of Education’s 2016 School Climate Star Ratings.

The ratings, which attempt to show the quality and character of school life and are influenced by things like school safety, student and parent engagement, instructional practices and organization; are released annually by the GaDOE.

Alice Coachman joins Robert A. Cross Middle Magnet School as a five-star school in the district.

Seven other schools – Albany Middle, Lake Park Elementary, Lamar Reese Elementary, Live Oak Elementary, Morningside Elementary, Radium Springs Middle and West Town Elementary – climbed into the four-star tier. In total, the DCSS had 14 schools that are either a 4 or 5-star school according to the GaDOE.

The other 4-star schools are International Studies Elementary Charter, Lincoln Elementary Magnet, Sherwood Acres Elementary and Westover High School.

The biggest improvements were made by Alice Coachman, which jumped two stars, and Turner Elementary, which also jumped two stars going from 2-Stars last year to 4-stars this year.