Educator Support and Development

Our Mission: Use statewide policies, communication channels, and engagement methods to foster recruitment, retention, and recognition of effective educators across Georgia.

What We Do:

Promote statewide coaching culture to develop educator practices that support student success
Partner with P-20 stakeholders to grow and sustain educator pipelines
Develop high-quality professional learning experiences that enhance strong instructional practices
Provide resources that foster educator health and wellbeing
Design systems and tools that feature federal, state, and local priorities

Division of Educator Support & Development Teams

Educator Support Services

GaLEADS Pilot Planning and Implementation
GaLEADS Onsite Coaching and Support
GaLEADS Advisory Committee

Educator Development Services

Statewide Teacher Recruitment, Retention, and Recognition Programs
Educator Pipeline, Support, and Development Grants
Leadership Development: Georgia ELEVATE Model
Georgia Public Education Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Educator Systems Services

TKES/LKES Support and Maintenance
Educator Recruitment and Retention Platforms/System Updates
Federal Program Supports for Effective Instruction

GaLEADS

The Georgia Department of Education is launching a pilot for a new teacher evaluation system that emphasizes teacher and leader growth and elevates the teaching profession by connecting quality professional growth and advancement opportunities to student achievement, growth, and development. The Georgia Leader and Educator Acceleration and Development System (GaLEADS) values teachers at each stage of their career and allows teachers to improve their craft, share strengths, and be recognized for their contributions to the profession. The pilot will feature a comprehensive system that includes targeted feedback, shared ownership for professional growth, and clear pathways for career advancement.

GaLEADS will:

Provide Georgia's teachers with resources to succeed in the profession at every stage in their careers.
Support teachers through customized, differentiated, targeted professional development.
Include assessments that reflect student growth and achievement, whole school accomplishments, and student development.

For more information, please see the GaLEADS Pilot Overview.

GaLEADS 2023-2024 Cohort B Information

Cultivating Teachers Grant

This is a GaDOE-administered, non-renewable, non-transferable grant for a maximum of $10,000 used by school districts to provide teacher professional learning and recruitment for pathway expansion and support. Grant funding will be distributed from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024.

Each applicant receiving funding through this RFP must:

meet the eligibility requirements for the grant;
comply with all program implementation and reporting requirements;
appropriately use these funds as described in the application package;
implement activities funded through the proposal within the timeline.

The deadline for application is Friday, April 14, 2023. All applications must be received in the grant application portal no later than 5:00 p.m. Directions for submission are included in the RFP and the grant portal.

2023 Cultivating Teacher Grant

Teacher and Leader Support and Development Grants

The Georgia Department of Education is providing $11.8 million to cover costs for more than 14,000 Georgia teachers enrolled in approved Teacher and Teacher Leader Endorsement programs, along with GaTAPP programs, in specific high-need areas.

“It's our goal to elevate the teaching profession, strengthen the teacher pipeline, and ensure every Georgia student has access to excellent teachers," Superintendent Woods said. “These grants will support our teachers growing as professionals, from beginning teachers to teacher leaders – and their continued growth supports our students' ability to learn."

The grants are made possible through federal stimulus funds under the American Rescue Plan (ARP – ESSER).

Georgia Teacher Academy for Preparation and Pedagogy (GaTAPP) Grant

This grant will provide financial support to Georgia Public School teachers enrolled in the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) approved GaTAPP programs. GaTAPP programs eligible to receive grant funds are based on RESA and LEA top four priority certification needs based on infield data, retention data, and/or student growth data.

Georgia Teacher Endorsement Grant

This grant will provide financial support to Georgia Public School teachers enrolled in selected endorsement programs. This grant will be distributed through those providers of educator endorsement programs to give scholarships for enrolled educators who currently teach in Georgia Public Schools and who support regional and/or district priority needs. Providers must communicate and collaborate with their local RESA and LEAs to identify what those needs are.

Georgia Teacher Leadership Endorsement Opportunities Grant

Providers may use funds to provide scholarships for educators' full/partial endorsement tuition, certification expenses including, not limited to, books and exam fees. This grant will be distributed through those providers of educator endorsement programs to give scholarships for enrolled educators who currently teach in Georgia Public Schools. Endorsement programs eligible to receive grant funds for the Georgia Teacher Leadership Endorsement Opportunities Grant are listed below.

Teacher Leader
Teacher Support and Coaching
Academic Coaching
Online Teaching
Student Support Team Coordinator
Coaching

P 20 Regional Collaboratives

Establishing and sustaining powerful partnerships that are focused on continuous school improvement and student growth and learning through the preparation of candidates and professional development of P-20 educators.

What are P-20 Collaboratives?

The Georgia Department of Education, the Georgia Professional Standards Commission, and the University System of Georgia have joined together to establish P-20 Collaboratives: Systems of support to provide a seamless transition for pre-service candidates as they seek to become professional educators, as well as to provide continued professional learning for practicing educators and leaders.

The state has been divided into nine regions, each region clustered around a group of institutions or agencies that prepares teachers. Each collaborative convenes twice during an academic year. Topics of interest include recruitment and training for future teachers, induction for in-service teachers, support for educational leaders, and professional learning for all. Each regional collaborative has a strategic planning team that plans the collaborative agendas based on needs of the region.

Teacher Keys Effectiveness System (TKES)

The Teacher Keys Effectiveness System (TKES) is a common evaluation system designed for building teacher effectiveness and ensuring consistency and comparability throughout the state. The Teacher Keys Effectiveness System (TKES) consists of three components which provide multiple sources of data. Beginning in school year 2016-2017, the three components are Teacher Assessment on Performance Standards (TAPS), Professional Growth and Student Growth. The overarching goal of TKES is to support continuous growth and development of each teacher.

For additional information and resources related to TKES, please visit the TKES webpage.

Leader Keys Effectiveness System (LKES)

The Leader Keys Effectiveness System (LKES) is a common evaluation system designed for building leader effectiveness and ensuring consistency and comparability throughout the state. The goal of Georgia’s Leader Keys Effectiveness System is to provide leaders with meaningful feedback and to support the continuous growth and development of each leader by monitoring, analyzing, and applying pertinent data from multiple sources toward attainment of established performance goals. Beginning in school year 2016-2017, the four components are Leader Assessment on Performance Standards (LAPS), Student Growth, School Climate Survey, and Combination of Additional Data. LKES offers clear and precise indicators and resources to leaders throughout the process.

For additional information and resources related to LKES, please visit the LKES webpage.

Georgia’s Systems of Continuous Improvement

The Georgia Department of Education’s strategic plan emphasizes transforming the agency into one that provides meaningful support to schools and districts. The agency has developed a common, continuous improvement framework to ensure that these efforts are aligned across all agency divisions, departments, and programs. The Georgia’s Systems of Continuous Improvement framework focuses on the systems and structures (the “what”) that must be in place for sustained improvement in student outcomes. It also utilizes a problem-solving model (the “how”) to provide a clear process for identifying improvement needs, planning for improvement, and implementing, monitoring, and evaluating the improvement efforts.

Opportunities for Title II, Part A support are woven throughout Georgia’s Systems of Continuous Improvement. A Coherent Instructional System can be supported by Title II, Part A to provide ALL teachers and school leaders with opportunities to broaden and deepen their understanding and practice of effective instructional strategies. Title II, Part A also provides the means for schools and LEAs to develop their Professional Capacity through attracting, placing, and supporting effective educators. Research indicates Effective Leadership is critical to the success of our schools and Title II, Part A can provide the necessary support for the development of effective leaders through professional learning and mentorship. These opportunities go toward supporting and developing the whole child and providing the access for low income students and families to effective teachers and leaders.

The TKES and LKES standards for teachers and Leaders are an integral part of the Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA) which is the starting point of Georgia’s Systems of Continuous Improvement. In responding to each system in the CNA, LEAs and schools use data collected from TKES and LKES observations to identify their strengths and needs. TKES and LKES standards are included in the CNA process for all systems – Coherent Instructional System; Professional Capacity; Supportive Learning Environment; Family and Community Engagement; and Effective Leadership. The CNA TKES and LKES standards’ data helps LEAs identify targeted support interventions for their District Improvement Plan and helps LEAs to monitor the implementation of those support interventions over time.