MEDIA
CONTACT: Matt
Cardoza, GADOE Communications Office, (404) 651-7358, mcardoza@gadoe.org
Follow
us on Twitter and Facebook
September
24, 2014 – Georgia
will seek flexibility from its Elementary and Secondary Education (ESEA) waiver
in order to delay, for one year, the high-stakes consequences related to the
use of student growth measures in new teacher and leader evaluation systems,
Superintendent Dr. John Barge announced today.
“As
we transition to a new assessment system, we need additional time before
incorporating student growth in high-stakes personnel decisions,” Dr. Barge
said. “A one-year delay will ensure that teachers and leaders are aware of the
impact of more rigorous standards and high-quality assessments, and that they
have time to amend instructional practices and engage in the necessary
professional learning.”
Georgia
will continue to implement the educator evaluation systems using multiple
measures of student growth and will calculate student growth data based on the
Georgia Milestones and student learning objectives. Teachers
of tested and non-tested subjects, along with all principals and assistant
principals, will be provided with their student growth data for the
2014-2015 school year. However, high-stakes consequences tied to that data will
be delayed for one year if the waiver is granted.
Georgia’s
26 Race to the Top districts will continue full implementation this school
year, including paying merit bonuses to the top 10 percent of teachers. Merit
bonuses in those districts will be based on Georgia's current assessment
system, including student growth measures.
The
U.S. Department of Education announced in August that it would allow states
with ESEA waivers to request flexibility related to the incorporation of test
results in teacher and leader accountability. Georgia submitted its request for
flexibility on Tuesday, September 23.