Eight schools in the Dougherty County School System were named to the state's "Beating the Odds," list for 2017, according to the Governor's Office of Student Achievement. 
 
Albany High School, Albany Middle School, Robert A. Cross Middle School, Monroe Comprehensive High School, Merry Acres Middle School, Radium Springs Elementary School and West Town Elementary School all excelled in student achievement when compared to schools with similar demographics across the state. 

"The students and staff at the schools on the Beating the Odds list are to be congratulated for their work. By earning a spot on this list, our schools are showing that they are successfully meeting the needs of our students," Superintendent Kenneth Dyer said.

According to GOSA, "Beating the Odds is a statistical analysis that compares a school’s actual performance on the College and Career Ready Performance Index with the performance of schools with similar characteristics across the state. Schools that perform higher than similar schools are considered “Beating the Odds.” 

The DCSS has three schools that have consistently found themselves on the list since the program started in 2012: Radium Springs Elementary, Robert A. Cross Middle School and Merry Acres Middle School.