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Wednesday, November 21, 2007
GOSA Who?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In the past, the public didn’t hear much from the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement. But that’s beginning to change.
With a new administrative team, including communications and research directors, the office is putting out more information — and, notably, more useful information — than ever.
GOSA has long produced annual report cards on the state’s public schools. Earlier this school year, staffers also began creating monthly “e-bulletins” to explain in more depth some of the state’s educational data.
The first installment focused on trends in Georgia’s SAT results; the latest covers NAEP scores.
Now, I know what cynics out there are thinking: More government-issued propaganda. But I’ve actually been pleasantly surprised at how forthright some of the information has been presented. (They even list Georgia’s national rankings on each NAEP exam — which aren’t pretty.)
That’s not to say there isn’t plenty of boosterism in these newsletters, but some of the talk is more frank than you typically see.
So, check out the updated Web site, redesigned report cards and new bulletins, and let me know what you think. Who knows? Maybe this is the start of a more honest conversation about education in Georgia.
Hey, an education reporter can dream, can’t she?
