 Georgia's Future. Now! is a package of initiatives that has withstood the scrutiny of teachers, principals and research. It features high standards, evaluation and accountability measures focused on improvement, and career pathways to inspire students based on their personal interests and aligned with business needs. Georgia's Future. Now! means: |
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 What is Georgia's College and Career Ready Performance Index?
Georgia is one of 10 states granted a waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind Act in February 2012. The state created a new accountability system called the College and Career Ready Performance Index, which rolled out for a couple weeks ago. The Index helps inform parents and the public how schools are performing in a more comprehensive manner than the pass/fail system previously in place under Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).
The Index supports the state's core educational principles:
- exemplary student achievement that prepares all for success in college and careers
- effective teaching and leadership in all schools
- innovative school improvement, particularly in low performing schools
- reduction in the duplicative reporting requirements for local school districts
What is college and career readiness?
The Index has been designed around a comprehensive definition of college and career readiness, or the level of achievement required in order for a student to enroll in two or four year colleges, universities, and technical colleges without remediation, fully prepared for college level work and careers. This means that all students graduate from high school with both rigorous content knowledge and the ability to apply that knowledge.
What it looks like?
The Index includes scores that easily communicate to the public how a school is doing. Each school receives a score out of 100 points, just like what students receive in their classes.
A school and district's overall score is made up of three major areas: Achievement (70 points possible), Progress (15 points possible) and Achievement Gap (15 points possible). In addition to the three major areas, schools can receive "Challenge Points" to add to their score (up to 10 points). They can receive these points if they have a significant number of Economically Disadvantaged students, English Learner students and Students with Disabilities meeting expectations. They can also receive points for going beyond the targets of the CCRPI by challenging students to exceed expectations and participate in college and career ready programs. Beginning in 2013-2014, schools will also receive ratings based on their financial efficiency and school climate, but these ratings will be for the public's information only as it will not factor into the overall CCRPI score.
For More Information, please visit the following links:
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Teacher and Leader KEYS: Latest News
House Bill 244 Passes
Teacher (TKES) and Leader (LKES) Keys Effectiveness Systems will soon become the norm across the state of Georgia. The passage of HB 244 requires that, effective July 1, 2014, all school systems and charter schools must engage in a new method of evaluating teachers, principals, and assistant principals. This new requirement forces evaluations to become more uniform across Georgia's classrooms and incorporates student achievement results into effectiveness measures for all teachers and leaders.
 | | Governor Deal signs HB 244 |
These exciting changes in legislation will rapidly make TKES and LKES more popular across the state. The training and familiarization process has only just begun for the Teacher and Leader Effectiveness Division and our implementing colleagues throughout Georgia. Major plans are in the making to prepare leaders to effectively implement the systems as well as ensuring schools and districts have appropriate resources to feel supported and confident while engaging in this important work.
TKES and LKES: By the Numbers
60 New districts committed to implement in 2013-14
34 New districts inquiring about implementing in 2013-14
20 Institutions of Higher Ed showing interest or commitment for 2013-14
6 Districts committed to study TKES/LKES for 2013-14
76 Current districts/SIG schools implementing TKES/LKES
Upcoming Training and Support
In addition to the ongoing training and support being provided in the field by our team of Evaluation Systems Specialists, the next few months are packed full of implementation informational resources, including:
- TKES & LKES credentialing training (1 week) -multiple sessions being offered at 5 different locations over 2 different weeks for new districts.
- 1 day assessment building overview for Student Learning Objective pre & post measure development.
- Summer training sessions for new and returning District Super Users on the TLE Electronic Platform.
- TLE Electronic Platform upcoming enhancements including:
- o Updated, more streamlined platform look
- o New Professional Learning platform tab and webpage, with resources to support the complete implementation of TKES & LKES, including:
- Decision guiding and informational flow charts.
- 1 page Quick Guides for clarifying and supporting processes.
- Electronic mini-modules available for use as a required or recommended support tool, usable as a self-paced course or facilitated small-group study.
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Georgia's STEM Day
Over 260,000 Students and Educators Celebrate
TAG Education Collaborative (TAG-Ed), the Technology Association of Georgia's charitable organization dedicated to preparing the next-generation workforce, celebrated the first Georgia STEM Day on May 3, 2013. Over 260,000 students and educators from across the state participated in innovative STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)-based learning activities. "Georgia STEM Day is about raising awareness of the importance of STEM to our state," said Chris Reinking, TAG-Ed board chair and partner and co- founder at Jabian Consulting. STEM Day participants ranged from individual classrooms to entire school districts. Many educators are partnering with local companies in order to help students make the vital connection between the classroom and STEM Careers. "We must do everything we can to help fill the void of STEM professionals in Georgia's labor market by tapping into students' passions for science, technology, math and engineering," said State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge. "STEM Day in Georgia is a great way to highlight the STEM education already happening in schools across the state and to encourage schools to join us in this effort." For more about STEM click on the following link: STEM Georgia website dedicate to K 12 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Fast Forward - Web Series a GPB Original Production and Multimedia Project that promotes student achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math programs
mission is to educate, promote, influence and unite Georgia's technology community to foster an innovative and connected marketplace that stimulates and enhances Georgia's tech-based economy.
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Innovation in Teaching Competition  Race to the Top Innovation Fund kicks off Teaching Competition Through the Innovation in Teaching Competition, the Governor's Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) will award educators who use innovative and effective strategies in teaching English Language Arts and mathematics. They will also make videos of their instruction available as a resource for other educators. Georgia teachers, who are incorporating innovative applied learning strategies into their instruction of ELA (English Language Arts) and Mathematics, can apply to serve as a model teacher through this competition. Georgia Public Broadcasting will film the winning educators teaching in their classrooms in fall 2013 and spring 2014. The awarded teachers will receive a $2,000 stipend for serving as a model teacher to other educators, and the teacher's school will receive a $5,000 grant. In addition to creating a video of the awarded educators' instruction, GPB will make available an interview of the awarded educators describing how they prepared their lessons, as well as the educators' supplementary materials such as student worksheets or other lesson preparation tools. The videos and supplemental materials will be made available to other educators, parents, institutions of higher education and other stakeholders through the state's longitudinal data system and other means. To be eligible to apply, teachers must have received an "exemplary" rating through the Teacher Keys Effectiveness System (TKES), Georgia's comprehensive teacher evaluation instrument. Educators that teach in school systems that do not yet use TKES may apply with the endorsement of their school principal. One applicant is permitted per school for schools that do not use TKES. GOSA will review applications and select a minimum of 26 winning educators, one teacher from each grade level representing ELA and mathematics. The competition guidelines and timeline can be found in the following RFP. For more information, please contact Lauren Wright @ Governor's Office of Student Achievement: lwright@georgia.gov OR (404) 463-1172.
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The contents of this newsletter were developed under a grant from the U. S. Department of Education. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the U. S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.
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Georgia Department of Education
Race to the Top Communications
1566 Twin Towers East
205 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive SE
Atlanta, GA 30334
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