Title 1 High School Offering Early College, Joint And Dual Enrollment
CurrentDeKalb Early College Academy, also known as DECA, is an early college high school located in historic Stone Mountain, Georgia, about 15 miles from Atlanta. The school is an alternative to large, comprehensive high schools in the DeKalb County School System and is a school of choice for parents who may not want their child to attend the traditional community high school. Students must apply and be accepted into the program as they would a college. The school accepts students from both public and private schools who have successfully completed 8th grade, enrolling students from all over the district. The education program follows a 4x4 block schedule (four classes each semester lasting 90 minutes daily) to include core and elective courses in academics, world language, health, physical education, and for juniors and seniors, a variety of college courses at a two-year public college. Additional time is allowed daily for tutoring or work completion. The school year is 180 days long. Students are engaged in an accelerated, compact college preparatory curriculum, taking either Early College and/or dual enrollment courses their junior and senior year. DECA was established in the fall of 2006. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation partnered with other organizations such as the Carnegie Foundation and the Woodruff Foundation to provide start-up money for high school reform as a response to the alarming high school dropout rate. The result was development of early colleges around the country, and DeKalb Early College Academy was born out of this initiative. We are the only early college in Georgia with a program structure comprising two years in high school and two years in college, earning dual high school/college credit. Our program includes the possibility of earning up to 60 hours of college credit and an Associate of Arts degree.
