Good
afternoon! Welcome to GaDOE Updates, a new newsletter from the Georgia
Department of Education. Every other Friday, we’ll be sending out a roundup of
news, information and spotlights on K-12 public education in Georgia.
In between,
keep up with GaDOE on Facebook and Twitter. Know something that should be
featured in an upcoming edition of GaDOE Updates? Contact Communications
Specialist Meghan Frick at mfrick@doe.k12.ga.us
or Communications Director Matt Cardoza at mcardoza@doe.k12.ga.us.
Middle
school girls get a look at STEM possibilities:
In a
classroom at Kennesaw State University on Monday, clusters of middle school
girls were rigging up habitats for yet-to-be-hatched milkweed bugs. In another
classroom just a few feet away, girls were graphing the distance of an air
trolley. Others were watching an electrostatics demonstration, or digging into
the history of women in math. And farther out, in the lobby, an astronaut held
court. NASA astronaut Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger was in middle school when
she first dreamed of being an astronaut and got a look at the future STEM could
bring her. At Girls’ Adventures in STEM, an event co-hosted by GaDOE at several
locations this week, girls across Georgia got the same glimpse. Read more here
and see photos here.
Georgia
named a leader in implementing new standards:
Georgia is a
leader among several states in implementation of the Common Core, according to a report released March
19 by the Southern Regional Education Board. The report, which tracks
progress in 15 states, benchmarked five areas of implementation, identifying
“leading states” and “strong states” in each. Georgia was named a “leading
state, with the most comprehensive array of resources and materials and the
most extensive efforts, in two areas: Teaching Resources and Accountability.
Georgia was identified as a “strong state” in Timeline and Approach to
Standards, Professional Development, and Teacher and Leader Evaluation. Read
more here.
Race to
the Top “year three” report highlights Georgia’s successes:
The U.S.
Department of Education released its annual progress report March 20 about each
of the 12 states participating in the Race to the Top grant initiative. The
report noted several of Georgia’s successes, including surpassed proficiency targets
on English language arts (ELA) assessments in grades 3, 5, and 8; the placement
of 280 teachers in Georgia public schools from alternative certification
programs; a new Performance learning center in Carrollton City Schools; and
increased support for STEM educators. Read more here.
Georgia’s
public schools in the news:
Georgia
setting standard on teaching civil rights | Columbus Ledger Enquirer: http://bit.ly/1dRc1N3
Students face
ethical decisions in real-life experiences | Gainesville Times: http://bit.ly/1gBox8Z
Dr. Barge
discusses the state’s role in school closures | Georgia.gov: http://1.usa.gov/P79LuM
Academy for
the Blind program encourages fitness, fun | Macon Telegraph: http://bit.ly/1g4zDO5
Buggy day for
young Gaines Elementary gardeners | Athens Banner-Herald: http://bit.ly/OYsQj1
Save the
date:
April 2 and
3: State
Board of Education Meeting (Atlanta)
May 3: State
Schools Title I Conference for Parents and Professionals (Macon)
May 22:
Atlanta Area School for the Deaf graduation (Clarkston – 10:45 a.m.)
May 22:
Georgia School for the Deaf graduation (Cave Spring – 2 p.m.)
May 23:
Georgia Academy for the Blind graduation (Macon – 11 a.m.)