Georgia will develop its new education accountability plan with input from seven committees that are already meeting.
Congress approved and President Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act enacted in December. The law calls on states to develop their own plans. Georgia school Superintendent Richard Woods plans to implement this state’s plan in the 2017-18 school year.
He’s convened the following committees that are gathering public feedback, with most of them having held their first meetings July 18-19. The committees, with details provided by the Georgia Department of Education:
The ESSA State Advisory Committee will create a list of focus areas, as well as discussion points, for the various working committees. The working committees will then present their work to the Advisory Committee for feedback and refinements.
Chair: Allison Timberlake, Director of Accountability, Georgia Department of Education & Co-Chair: Molly Howard, Superintendent, Jefferson County Schools
This committee will examine Georgia’s current accountability platform, the College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI), and help make refinements to the model, taking a responsible approach to accountability and finding a way to represent school performance in a public-friendly manner. The goal is to develop a tool that is flexible enough to align with the individual strategic goals of schools and districts, capturing and encouraging innovation while also providing useful data to guide improvement. The end result should be less cumbersome and burdensome for districts and schools, while still providing an accurate assessment of student achievement and school quality.
Chair: Melissa Fincher, Deputy Superintendent for Assessment & Accountability, Georgia Department of Education & Co-Chair: Steve Barker, Superintendent, Coweta County Schools
This committee will review assessment requirements and needs, examining ways to take a more innovative approach to assessing students, strengthen formative tools, and make assessment data more timely and useful.
Chair: Matt Cardoza, Chief Communications Officer, Georgia Department of Education & Co-Chair: Stan DeJarnett, Executive Director, Georgia Vision Project
In order for Georgia to use the framework of ESSA to implement changes that will best serve students, teachers, and schools, extensive two-way communication with the public is essential – Georgia must engage with and seek continual feedback from all stakeholders. This committee will discuss ways to bring stakeholders to the table and facilitate effective communication related to Georgia’s ESSA plan.
Chair: Caitlin Dooley, Deputy Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction, Georgia Department of Education & Co-Chair: Susan Adams, Assistant Commissioner for Pre-K and Instructional Support, Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning
This committee will discuss physical, social, and emotional well-being, positive learning climate, experiential learning, and personalized education in Georgia’s pre-K through 12 education system. Members will examine ways to maximize opportunities using effective practices and innovation and provide an excellent, relevant, and meaningful education to all students, recognizing that all children learn at different rates and have individual needs.
Chair: Cindy Saxon, Associate Superintendent for Teacher and Leader Effectiveness, Georgia Department of Education & Co-Chair: Ernie Lee, 2016 Georgia Teacher of the Year and Savannah-Chatham County Schools social studies teacher
Teacher and leader quality has an enormous impact on student achievement. This committee will examine ways to strengthen the teaching profession and empower and support school leaders. Members will discuss teacher preparation, recruitment, retention, and development and personalized professional learning, and will help define supports on the teaching continuum from first-year teacher to teacher leader.
Chair: Debbie Gay, Director of Special Education Services and Supports, Georgia Department of Education & Co-Chair: Leigh-Ann Putman, Executive Director of Metro RESA and immediate past president of Georgia RESAs
This committee will address the various federal programs that support school improvement at the state level, examining the way Georgia identifies schools in need of assistance and the type and quality of assistance provided by the state. Members will provide suggestions on using federal programs/dollars to the maximum benefit of Georgia’s schools and students. The goal is to leverage state and community resources more effectively to support schools, streamlining the process for schools and districts and affording maximum flexibility while ensuring transparency. The state’s role should, ultimately, shift to service and support – in other words, the state’s efforts to support schools should complement local efforts.
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