SMYRNA, Ga. -- The Georgia Department of Education has released the 2013 list of Reward Schools throughout the state.

Reward School distinction is given in two categories.

A Highest Performance School is a Title I school, or a low-income school that receives federal funding, with the highest student performance on statewide exams over three years.

High Progress Schools are Title I schools with the most improved performance among all students on statewide exams.

Cobb County's 2013 Reward Schools include:

High Progress
* Belmont Hills ES
* Campbell MS
* Lindley 6th Grade Academy
* Osborne HS
* Smitha MS

MARIETTA, Ga. -- Students, alumni and faculty of Southern Polytechnic State University are fighting what they say is a "hostile takeover" of the SPSU campus by the University System of Georgia, reports the Marietta Daily Journal.

The USG Board of Regents will consider a proposal this month to consolidate the schools. The planned merger is part of an ongoing system-wide series of institutional consolidations aimed at gaining efficiencies and cutting costs.

By Monday morning, more than 2,200 supporters had signed two different petitions on change.org, an online forum that allows people to campaign on a wide range of issues.

(WXIA) -- More than 100 schools across Georgia will participate in this year's National Mix It Up at Lunch Day.

The annual event is sponsored by the Southern Poverty Law Center and was created in recognition of National Bullying Prevention Month. Roughly 6,000 schools nationwide are expected to participate.

"Mix It Up is a positive step that schools can take to help create learning environments where students see each other as individuals and not just as members of a separate group," said Maureen Costello, director of the SPLC's Teaching Tolerance project. "When people step out of their cliques and get to know someone, they realize just how much they have in common."

On National Mix It Up at Lunch Day, students are asked to sit with new friends in the cafeteria. Its goal is to foster understanding and respect among young people.

Participating schools in metro Atlanta include: