Students at Asa G. Hilliard Elementary School will return to class on Monday, August 3, with a new distinction on the wall: the school has earned the Leader in Me Lighthouse School designation, a national honor from FranklinCovey Education recognizing schools where leadership development is embedded in daily instruction and culture.
The designation, announced Thursday, July 23, by Fulton County Schools, caps a three-year effort at the south Fulton elementary to weave goal-setting, data tracking, and student accountability into every grade level. More than 8,000 schools worldwide use the Leader in Me framework, and over 800 have achieved Lighthouse status, according to FranklinCovey Education.
"It demonstrates that leadership is woven into daily instruction and schoolwide practices, empowering our scholars to take ownership of their learning, set meaningful goals, and lead with purpose," Principal Tiambi Walker said in the district announcement.
What students actually do
The program is not abstract. Students maintain leadership portfolios and goal-setting notebooks where they track their own academic and behavioral progress. They serve as school ambassadors, lead family engagement events such as Literacy Night and Curriculum Night, and participate in groups including STEM GEMS and Panther Power Leaders.
A central tool is what the program calls Wildly Important Goals, or WIGs. Teachers, students, and teams set measurable targets tied to academics, behavior, and leadership development, then review progress regularly.
Chronic absenteeism fell during the push
The leadership work has coincided with measurable results beyond culture. At the November 2025 Fulton County Schools board meeting, Hilliard Elementary was cited as having achieved the district's largest decrease in chronic absenteeism among Zone 1 schools, a group of campuses serving more than 6,400 students combined.
What the designation means going forward
Lighthouse certification lasts two years, after which schools must re-certify through a self-assessment tied to a rubric measuring three areas: teaching leadership principles, creating a leadership culture, and aligning academic systems.
More immediately, the designation means Hilliard Elementary will serve as a mentor school for others across Georgia and nationally that want to build similar programs. Walker said the school is preparing to welcome visiting educators.
Second national honor for FCS this summer
The Lighthouse recognition is the second national distinction for a Fulton County school in recent weeks. On July 14, Ridgeview Charter Middle School was named a Schools to Watch honoree, a separate program recognizing high-performing middle schools.
Fulton County Schools opens the 2026-2027 school year on Monday, August 3, with 179 instructional days on the calendar.
