New data the Georgia Department of Education expects to release this week reflects a significant change in how Georgia grades schools and teachers.
The goal for “student growth” data is to show how much students learn in a given year, regardless of how much they knew at the start of the year.
Georgia is shifting away from grading schools almost entirely on test pass/fail rates, an approach some thought was unfair to schools serving students from low-income families, learning English or in special education programs.
Growth data is already part of the College and Career Ready Performance Index, Georgia's system for rating schools and districts. But starting this school year, students' academic growth will also weigh heavily in educators' job evaluations, and that is controversial.
While some argue it will help school districts recognize great teachers and weed out bad ones or help them improve, many educators and researchers believe it may not be fair: The statistical model Georgia is using does not directly account for factors beyond a teacher’s control, such as student disability or poverty.
To learn more, read our in-depth coverage on MyAJC.com.
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