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Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy changes along with inaugural class

CGLA Executive Director Elaine Swafford walks through tables of her students on the first day of the 2015 school year. The school recently graduated its inaugural sixth-grade class which entered the school as it opened in 2009. CGLA Executive Director Elaine Swafford walks through tables of her students on the first day of the 2015 school year. The school recently graduated its inaugural sixth-grade class which entered the school as it opened in 2009.

By Emily Crisman June 1, 2016 3 min read

A student balances her binders as she hurries down the hall at CGLA.

On July 27, 2009, 75 girls made statewide history when they entered the doors of Tennessee’s first single-gender public charter school, Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy.

From that inaugural sixth-grade class of 50 girls, eight recently made history again when they graduated from CGLA.

According to a release, as sixth-graders, 45 percent of their class scored below the basic level in mathematics on their Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program tests, and by their freshman year in 2012, they faced the threat of CGLA being closed by the state because of failing academic scores.

That same year, Dr. Elaine Swafford was brought on as director of CGLA.

By the inaugural sixth-grade class’ sophomore year, everyone in the class achieved TCAP scores at or above basic level. As juniors, their improved TCAP Algebra scores helped put the school in fourth place of all Hamilton County schools.