The Atlanta Girls' School Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

AGS is committed to providing an outstanding girls' education to a student body that reflects the socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, and religious diversity of Atlanta. To this end, AGS faculty deliver research-driven, girl-centered curricula to two students from China and students from over 60 zip codes across metro-Atlanta. Forty percent of our students are girls of color, and 30% of families receive financial aid. Sixty-one percent of AGS teachers hold advanced degrees, and the School offers extensive professional development opportunities to enable highly qualified staff to maintain and enrich their specialized, girl-centered teaching methods based on the latest research. With an average class size of 14 students, faculty deeply invest in helping each student succeed and attain her full potential. Leading programs: STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) curriculum and interdisciplinary learning have been a hallmark of AGS teaching and learning for years, and STEAM skills in their purest forms-design thinking, problem solving, resiliency, creativity-have been shown through numerous studies to have enormous effect on the way girls learn best. In Middle School, students learn computer programming, logical thinking, and develop reasoning skills through coding and use of a 3D printer. Upper School students learn about design thinking through production and graphic design courses. LEGO Robotics is explored during our SMART Girls summer camps and during Winterim, a ten-day term between semesters. we offer several cross-curricular courses for Middle and Upper School students that emphasize critical design-thinking STEAM skills. We also work with the TEALS program to connect industry computer programmers with AGS teachers for meaningful teaching and learning from experts in the field. The Education for the Development of Leadership and Service program sets AGS apart from its peer institutions by focusing on the critical role of service in the life of a responsible, global citizen. Students at every grade level undertake projects in philanthropy, public service, wellness, and environmental stewardship. To gain real-world experience, sophomores and juniors undertake internships of at least 70 hours. Most girls complete more than the required hours of work and service through their internships at organizations such as Piedmont Hospital, Spaceworks, Children's Hospital of Atlanta, and Center for the Visually Impaired. Other students have spent their internships studying neuroscience at Emory University, participating in App Design and Robotics at Georgia Tech's design lab, and learning about environmental protection and sustainability at Integrated Environmental Services and Nexus Fuels. In selecting internships, girls are encouraged to explore their personal and career goals. These internships provide AGS girls with invaluable real world experiences, create academic and professional resources, and form a long-lasting understanding of the impact of the girls' work in the world. The Global Travel Program requires Upper School students to participate in at least one international trip prior to graduation. AGS is the only school in Atlanta to have such a requirement. The Global Travel Program offers students a myriad of global experiences ranging from exchange programs to internships to spring break educational trips. Students may study the intricate ecology of Belize or literature and history in England. Students can attend school at Schloss Neubeuern in Neubeuern, Germany, on an exchange or in Spain on a cultural immersion trip. Students can also participate in community service internships, such as an opportunity to travel to Kenya and participate in a two-week, elementary school teaching internship.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 69.2%; rating input score 69
• Fundraising efficiency: $0 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Pass
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Limited
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -429.5%; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
• Officer compensation ratio: 210.8%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: -0.7% per year; rating input score 0; 49th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -3.1% per year; rating input score 0; 49th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -3.1% per year; rating input score 0; 26th percentile among comparable filings