Oak Grove Elementary School

Oak Grove Elementary School in Atlanta, GA, serves 429 students from Pre-K through 5th grade and has earned a reputation as one of the top-performing elementary schools in the state, consistently ranking in the 92nd–97th percentile over the past decade.

Oak Grove's academic results are exceptional, with math proficiency rates roughly double the DeKalb County district average. In the most recent testing cycle, 75.4% of 3rd graders, 78.7% of 4th graders, and 67.4% of 5th graders scored proficient in math, compared to district averages of 35.9%, 37.5%, and 31.7% respectively. Science proficiency (67.5%) also far exceeds the district rate of 30.4%. The gap is even more striking when compared to nearby schools—Dresden Elementary, just 2.3 miles away, posted only 8% proficiency in 5th grade math. Even strong neighbors like Laurel Ridge Elementary and Briarlake Elementary trail Oak Grove by 12–29 percentage points across subjects. Note that Georgia's current test release does not include English Language Arts scores; those results arrive in December, but Oak Grove's most recent available ELA data (2024-2025) showed 3rd grade proficiency at 81.3%—more than double the district rate.

Perhaps the most remarkable differentiator is attendance. Oak Grove's chronic absenteeism rate is just 3.9%—nearly seven times lower than the district average (26.7%) and lower than every nearby school, including GLOBE Academy Charter School I (5.8%). This consistency has held even during pandemic-affected years. The school also maintains a favorable 12.2:1 student-teacher ratio and spends $22,986 per student. While Oak Grove benefits from a relatively affluent catchment area (about 11% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch), it still outperforms schools with similar demographics like Sagamore Hills Elementary by 14–30 percentage points, suggesting the school's leadership, culture, and teaching quality add significant value beyond what demographics alone would predict.