Georgia Lighthouse Schools to Watch - School Tours





Mercer Middle School



Designated in 2004; Redesignated: 2007
Mercer Middle School • Savannah-Chatham County • Georgia • Principal: Gloria Dukes • 201 Rommel Avenue, Garden City, GA 31408 • Phone (912) 965-6700 2008-2009 School Statistics

Community: urban, industrial
Enrollment: 899
Grade Levels: 6, 7, 8
School Schedule: 7:30-2:30 with 75 minute blocks Friday has an adjusted Academy Schedule.

Student Demographics
<1%   Hispanic
20%   White
72%   African American
0%   Filipino
<1%   Indian
<1%   Asian
0%   Pacific Islander
70.82%   Free/Reduced Lunch
0%   English Learners

AYP: yes
AYP: yes
AYP: yes
AYO: no

School Characteristics and Replicable Practices


Academic Excellence

  • Renzulli Schoolwide Enrichment Program
  • Title 1 Status
  • Professional Learning Communities
  • Emphasis on Differentiated Learning
  • Implementation of Marzano’s Nine Effective Teaching Strategies
  • Carnegie Units for H.S. Credit in Algebra 1 and 9th grade Comp/Lit.
  • Full Inclusion
  • Data-Driven Instruction
  • Collaborative, Seamless Planning
  • Emphasis on Writing and Interdisciplinary Units
  • Drop Everything and Read (DEAR)
  • Student Portfolios
  • 21st Century Learning Community
  • Safety Net
  • Zeros Aren’t Permitted (ZAP)
  • Teacher Guided Tutorials
  • Saturday School
  • Students Achieving mastery (SAM)
  • Accelerated Curriculum Exploration (ACE)
  • CRCT Camp
  • SEARCH
  • Gifted Certified Teachers

Developmental Responsiveness

  • Student Government
  • Junior Beta Club
  • Service Learning through Renzulli Schoolwide Enrichment allows students to seek solutions to real life situations. They are challenged to find a solution that would have some benefit to an impacted community.
  • Teams use an interdisciplinary approach on a quarterly basis.
  • Academics and Athletics work together to provide well rounded student athletes.
  • PTA and Family nights are held on a regular basis to foster parental awareness of the high academic expectations Mercer students are expected to meet.
  • During Friday Advisement all students participate in activities to foster healthy, physical, social and academic growth.

Social Equity

  • All students at Mercer participate in heterogeneous classes.
  • This year one team at each grade level has gender specific classes.
  • This year was begun with an interdisciplinary theme of “We Are Family”. So that teachers and students could appreciate our similarities and differences, while embracing the Mercer Way.
  • Teachers continuously use data to help drive instruction and meet the needs of all students during their curriculum calendar planning.
  • All students are able to recite the Mercer Motto: In this place We expect Tolerance, Excellence, and a Love for Learning.Tell Someone
  • SunTrust Bank and AmeriGroup have been instrumental in assisting several clusters this year.
  • Mercer has an open door policy.
  • Bi-weekly progress reports are sent home to maintain communication with parents.

Organizational Supports

  • Mercer has core beliefs and value statements that everyone agrees to honor and defend.
  • Professional development that supports our standards and our system school improvement plan is supported and encouraged.
  • From the administration on down, time is set aside to continuously review and monitor student achievement.
  • Professional Learning Communities allow teachers to examine best practices.
  • The principal facilitates a school council. The council consists of parents, teachers, business representatives and administration.
  • Mercer partners closely with First District Resa, local schools and universities for the advancement of students and faculty.
  • Professional Learning Communities allow teachers to hold each other accountable for the progress of our students.
  • Data drives our vision of where Mercer will be.
  • Students are served by a team of four teachers. The students rotate between those 4 teachers.