Table of Contents
- Georgia Receives $61 Million for Reading and Literacy
- Georgia Schools Record Increases Across the Board on CCRPI
- Georgia Department of Education Names Economic Development Partnership (EDP) Pilot Systems
- Georgia-based Painter and Illustrator Added to NGE
- Code.Org Georgia Facilitators
- Worth Sharing
- Going Social
- GaDOE Media Mailing List
Georgia Receives $61 Million for Reading and Literacy
The Georgia Department of Education has received a grant that will provide $61.5 million to improve reading and literacy outcomes for Georgia's children.
GaDOE’s Literacy for Learning, Living and Leading in Georgia (L4GA) initiative was awarded funding through the Striving Readers grant, which was developed to serve children in need. Georgia has been awarded $20,526,600 per year over three years, totaling $61,579,800. Georgia received more Striving Readers funding than any other state, and was one of just three states to receive the funding a second time after the initial grant cycle from 2011-2016.
Ninety-five percent of the grant funding will be sub-granted to local school districts and communities to develop partnerships specifically aimed at improving reading and literacy outcomes for Georgia’s children, from birth to grade 12. Specifically, the sub-grants will be awarded to school districts that work collaboratively with community partners and teacher preparation programs.
The L4GA initiative was developed based on lessons learned through Georgia’s previous Striving Readers grant (2011-16) and the Get Georgia Reading campaign.
"Nothing is more important than making sure all students have the literacy skills they need to succeed academically and in life," State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. "To make that happen, we have to build upon a foundation of early learning that connects all the way through high school graduation and builds in community partnerships -- because we know that what happens inside the school building is not the only factor that impacts students' literacy. This grant allows us to invest directly in local communities to improve literacy outcomes and directly impact the lives of thousands of students."
Georgia Schools Record Increases Across the Board on CCRPI
Percentage of schools with a 5-star School Climate rating also increases
State School Superintendent Richard Woods announced on November 2, 2017 that 2017 College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) scores show improvements across the board -- in Georgia's elementary, middle, and high schools, and in Georgia's K-12 schools as a whole.
The state score for Georgia's high schools was 77, up from 75.7 in 2016. The middle school score increased to 73, up from 71.5 in 2016, and the elementary school score increased to 72.9 (up from 71.7 in 2016). The overall state score is 75, an increase from 73.6 in 2016.
The CCRPI is Georgia's statewide accountability system, implemented in 2012 to replace No Child Left Behind's Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) measurement, after the U.S. Department of Education granted Georgia's waiver from NCLB. It measures schools and school districts on a 100-point scale based on multiple indicators of performance.
"These results point to the continued improvement taking place within Georgia's public schools," State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. "I have seen firsthand the efforts Georgia's educators -- particularly Georgia's classroom teachers -- have made to increase the opportunities our students receive, and I could not be more pleased to see increases across so many indicators of academic achievement, from CCRPI to the ACT to the Georgia Milestones assessments. With that said, I still believe the CCRPI does not fully capture the great work happening in our public schools. I'm confident that our proposed refinements to the measurement -- as submitted in Georgia's ESSA state plan -- will paint a more accurate picture of overall school quality."
Georgia Department of Education Names Economic Development Partnership (EDP) Pilot Systems
The Georgia Department of Education has named five local school systems as pilot participants in its new Economic Development Partnership (EDP) program. Pilot work will begin with Whitfield County, Marietta City, Newton County, Muscogee County, and Wayne County this school year, with plans to roll out to all interested school systems in the 2019-2020 school year.
The EDP program seeks to promote improved relationships between local school districts and business/industry. The program, which is loosely modeled on GaDOE's STEM and STEAM certification for schools, aims to meet the workforce development needs of Georgia's current and future employers and expand opportunities for students. The designation is endorsed by the Georgia Economic Developers Association (GEDA).
“We have been pleased to partner with the Georgia Department of Education in the development and rollout of the Economic Development Partnership,” GEDA President Kevin Shea said. “We are excited about the potential for an improved partnership with school districts and GEDA member economic development organizations throughout the state of Georgia, to enhance communication and opportunities for business and quality of life and place.”
Georgia-based Painter and Illustrator Added to NGE
In November, the New Georgia Encyclopedia published an article on painter Steve Penley by Collie Holt and Anna Roberts. A Georgia-based painter known for his iconic portraits of American political figures, Penley has accepted multiple commissions from the Coca-Cola Company and other prominent organizations in the state.
Code.Org Georgia Facilitators
Code.org is accepting applications for new Georgia-based teacher professional development facilitators for all levels including K-5 (fundamentals), 6-9 (CS Discoveries), and 9-12 (CS Principles). Code.org partners with individuals interested in developing facilitation capacity in computer science (CS) education to deliver high-quality professional development to teachers in a format that's fun and accessible. Code.org's Facilitator Development Program is a highly-selective professional learning program designed to prepare and support facilitators to deliver quality workshops on Code.org's curriculum.
The ideal facilitator is an enthusiastic supporter of CS education, possesses a connection to Code.org’s equity-focused mission and has a strong background in the curriculum area, preferably through teaching experience.
The application period closed on December 1, 2017. However, applications submitted after Dec. 1st, will be reviewed at the Regional Partners' discretion.
Worth Sharing
Going Social
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Thank you,
Tony Vlachakis
Educational Technologist
Library/Media Liaison
tvlachak@doe.k12.ga.us
