Georgia Cyber Academy (virtual), Atlanta GA

Original Research by School Decision on Georgia Cyber Academy (virtual)

Georgia Cyber Academy is a statewide, tuition-free virtual public charter serving kindergarten through twelfth grade. Its enrollment is substantial, comprising around nine thousand students distributed across the full grade span, with students attending online from across Georgia. Roughly half of enrolled students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly Black, with a significant white enrollment and meaningful Hispanic and multiracial populations.

The school operates as a structured, teacher-led virtual program rather than a self-paced or asynchronous model. Students are grouped by proficiency level, and those assessed as Beginning or Developing are required to attend live classes during standard school hours, typically 8am to 4pm, with teacher-led instruction. Only students performing at Proficient or Distinguished levels earn the flexibility to view recorded sessions. Every student must have a designated Learning Coach, typically a parent or guardian, to provide in-home support and accountability. This structure means the school functions much like a traditional brick-and-mortar school delivered online, with daily obligations and consistent routines, rather than offering the flexibility some families associate with virtual learning.

On the academic side, state test results reveal substantial challenges. Across tested grades and subjects, overall proficiency sits below the midpoint for districts in Clayton County. In math, proficiency rates across grades three through eight range from low to low-to-moderate, with eighth grade performing relatively better. English language arts results are more varied: younger grades show lower proficiency, but proficiency rises in grades five and six before declining again in eighth grade. Science proficiency is higher in grade five but drops in grade eight. Social studies proficiency on the eighth-grade assessment is low. The school has only one year of available testing data, so trend information is not present.

The school's charter was renewed in May 2024 for a five-year term through June 2029, locking in statewide operation at the tuition-free level. Housing costs in the school's listed zip code area (30349 in Atlanta) are moderate compared to state benchmarks, with home values recently showing a slight decline and rental prices relatively stable. The economic environment includes steady unemployment and current mortgage rates in the mid-six-percent range.

A parent considering Georgia Cyber Academy should understand that this is a full-time, structured virtual school with required daily attendance for most students, not a flexible homeschool alternative. Proficiency rates on state assessments are notably low across most subjects and grades. The school's substantial enrollment and diverse student population reflect its open-access charter status. Families should examine the school's specific curriculum, the Learning Coach expectations, and whether the proficiency-based live-session model aligns with their students' needs and their own capacity to support learning at home.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

64.0%Cohort of 913 students · Class of 2021

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

467 schools plotted. 22 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 315%

School 15% · District 15%

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 421%

School 21% · District 21%

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 516%

School 16% · District 16%

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 615%

School 15% · District 15%

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 720%

School 20% · District 20%

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 827%

School 27% · District 27%

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 322%

School 22% · District 22%

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 426%

School 26% · District 26%

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 536%

School 36% · District 36%

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 634%

School 34% · District 34%

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 734%

School 34% · District 34%

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 831%

School 31% · District 31%

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Science

Grade 538%

School 38% · District 38%

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 831%

School 31% · District 31%

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 821%

School 21% · District 21%

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

This schoolState Specialty Schools I- Georgia Cyber Academy, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income26%Higher-income34%7 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income28%Higher-income32%5 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income33%Higher-income42%10 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income34%Higher-income44%9 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income30%Higher-income44%14 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income36%Higher-income39%3 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income32%Higher-income40%8 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income17%Higher-income21%4 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income16%Higher-income22%7 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income11%Higher-income19%9 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income14%Higher-income23%9 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income16%Higher-income27%12 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income25%Higher-income30%5 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income17%Higher-income25%8 pp gap