Northview High School is now a nationally certified magnet school, one of only 337 in the country.
The Fulton County Board of Education recognized the Johns Creek school at its Thursday, Sept. 17, meeting for earning National Magnet Certification through Magnet Schools of America (MSA). Banneker High School and Tri-Cities High School, the two other Fulton County schools with 3DE programs, earned the same certification.
The three are the first 3DE schools in the nation to receive MSA certification, according to Northview's website. MSA announced the designations on Aug. 25, naming 40 newly certified schools and 37 certified demonstration schools nationwide. Northview's certification is tied to its 3DE by Junior Achievement program, a partnership that launched at the school in 2018. The school began the formal certification process in 2025.
To earn certification, schools had to show evidence that they draw students from different neighborhoods and backgrounds, remove obstacles to student success, use innovative curricula and maintain strong ties with parents and the community, per MSA's certification criteria. CEO Ramin Taheri said in the Aug. 25 announcement that the newly certified schools had worked to meet MSA's standards and praised the impact they are making for students and communities.
The 3DE program at Northview is open to any student and uses a case-study model built around six competencies: self-direction, collaboration, cultural agility, critical thinking, creativity and innovation, and communication. Corporate partners including Home Depot, Delta Airlines and Jackson Healthcare pose real business problems for students to solve. By senior year, participants intern directly with those companies.
Brian Downey, Fulton County Schools zone superintendent for Johns Creek-area schools, described the model in an Aug. 10 Johns Creek Magazine profile of the program. "A business partner will come in and present a problem of practice," Downey said, explaining that students then spend an extended period developing a solution and presenting it back to the company.
Participants carry a 100% graduation rate, compared to Northview's overall rate of 97–98%, according to Johns Creek Magazine. Students who complete four years receive an official magnet designation on their transcripts.
The school was also selected as one of four campuses for the district's "Find Your Future at Fulton" out-of-district enrollment initiative. It sits near the Gwinnett and Forsyth county lines.
Families interested in Northview's magnet program can learn more at the Fulton County Schools All Access Expo on Saturday, Oct. 3, at North Springs High School from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The free event is open to all FCS students and families, with a focus on 8th and 9th graders exploring magnet programs, CTAE pathways, fine arts and JROTC.
