John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School - Awards and Recognition

Awards and Recognition

During the 2004–05 school year, Davidson was recognized with the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education, the highest award a U.S. school can receive.

The school has consistently been named as one of the best in the state of Georgia, and was named the number one academic school in the state each year from 1996 to 2009, a feat due almost exclusively to the high achievement of the students the school accepts. The school is also known for its music program; the Davidson Concert Chorale has been named among the best high school choral classes in the nation. In 2004, Davidson was selected by the Grammy Foundation as the Grammy Signature School and granted the program $25,000.

Awards and recognitions include:

• Recognized as the #1 school in the state of Georgia consecutively through the 1996–2003 school years
• Recognized nationally as the 2004 National Grammy Signature School for their music programs
• Recognized for top SAT scores in the state of Georgia for the last ten years.
• 2003–2004: named a National Magnet School of Excellence.
• Won first place in the 2004 State Literary Competition
• Won first place in the 2003 (Georgia) One Act Play Competition
• Ranked highest for excellence among magnet schools by the U.S. Department of Education for academic focus and integration of the fine arts
• Named a National Magnet School of Excellence for 2002–2003
• April 1996 issue of Redbook Magazine cited Davidson as one of 155 of the Nation's Best Schools as part of the America's Best Schools project
• 8 National Merit Semifinalists & Finalist since 1996
• 22 Commended Merit Scholars since 1996
• 10 National Achievement Finalists and Semifinalists since 1996
• 25 Commended Achievement Scholars since 1996
• Recognized as a Georgia School of Excellence in 1995
• First place winner of the 2007 South Eastern Theater Conference
• First-place Orchestra at the 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 Fiestaval Competitions
• Semi-finalist at the 2006 Division AAA Georgia Academic Bowl
• Ranked among the top 1% of high schools by Newsweek
• First place winner of the 2007 Georgia Theater Conference (one of only two schools to win twice in a row)
• Received a gold medal and was ranked 84th best high school in the nation by US News & World Report in 2007
• The 2005 GRAMMY Gold Signature School
• The Davidson Chorale selected as 2004 ACDA Southern Division Convention performer, Nashville, TN
• The Davidson Chorale selected as 2005 ACDA National Convention performer, Los Angeles, CA
• The Davidson Chorale selected as 2007 MENC Southern Division Convention performer, Charleston, SC
• The Davidson Chorale selected as 2004, 2006, 2008 GMEA Convention performer, Savannah, GA
• The Davidson Chorale selected as 2010 Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Featured performer
• Ranked number 75 in Newsweek's "America's Best High Schools of 2011."