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Georgia Education News
April 2008
Copyright © 2008 Queue, Inc.
IN THIS ISSUE:
New Computer Skill Competency
Assessment for Georgia Educators
Georgia Shows Strong Gains on
National Writing Test
The Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC) has announced
the launch of a new assessment that will certify state educators in computer
skill competency. Developed by Pearson's teacher licensure testing group, the
new Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators¨ (GACE¨) Computer
Skill Competency Assessment is being delivered via Internet-based testing.The
Computer Skill Competency Assessment was developed to help teachers meet the
Georgia State Legislature's requirement that all public school teachers in the
state demonstrate computer skill competency. To meet the requirement of the
legislation, the Evaluation Systems group of Pearson, in cooperation with the
Georgia PSC, designed an Internet-based assessment to be administered to
registered sites within school districts, Regional Educational Service
Agencies, Educational Technology Training Centers, and if needed, in every
Georgia school.
"Our state recognizes that today's high-quality teachers must
have the skills to integrate technology into instruction," said Kelly
Henson, executive secretary, Georgia PSC. "We worked with the Evaluation
Systems group of Pearson to develop and deliver the new GACE Computer Skill
Competency Assessment to offer teachers a way to meet this requirement."
The Evaluation Systems group of Pearson developed and manages
Georgia's overall teacher certification testing program for assessing the
knowledge and skills of prospective public school educators. Last fall, Georgia
PSC and Pearson launched the state's first Internet-based test, the GACE
Paraprofessional Assessment.
"The Georgia PSC has long been a national leader in high-quality, innovative teacher certification," said William Gorth, Ph.D., president of the Evaluation Systems group of Pearson. "We are pleased to have worked with Mr. Henson and the Commission to develop and manage this new computer skills competency teacher certification examination and deliver it across all Georgia education institutions via Internet-based testing."
For more information about the new GACE Computer Skills Competency
Assessment and other Georgia teacher certification exams, visit http://www.gace.nesinc.com.
Georgia's 8th graders are scoring at the national average in
writing, according to test results released Thursday.
The results of the 2007 National Assessment for Educational
Progress (NAEP) showed that 88 percent of Georgia 8th graders scored at or
above basic proficiency levels, one point higher than the nation. This was a
six-point jump for Georgia since 2002, the last time the NAEP writing test was
given.
"These NAEP
results offer further proof that our new curriculum is making a big
difference," said State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox. "There
is no doubt in my mind that the rigor and focus of our new standards is having
a positive impact in the classroom."
Superintendent Cox said Georgia's teachers are doing a great
job implementing the new curriculum, which emphasizes writing across all
subject areas, the Georgia Performance Standards.
"In the 21st
century, the ability to take information and ideas and relay them clearly and
concisely is more important than ever," Superintendent Cox said.
"Writing is not just a skill that should be used in English class. Our new
curriculum demands the use of writing and communication skills in every subject
area."
The NAEP is given to a representative sample of students in every
state. Scores are on a scale of 0 to 300 and are broken into four categories --
below basic, basic, proficient and advanced. Georgia students in grade 8 took
the NAEP writing exam last school year. The students who were tested had been
taught using the state's new Reading/English Language Arts curriculum for two
years.
Georgia's 8th graders scored a 153, up six points from 2002.
Georgia's score was one point lower than the nation (154). But just like a
public opinion poll, there is a margin of error, which makes these scores
statistically equal.
Georgia's African-American and Hispanic students made significant
gains on the NAEP writing test.
The scale score for Georgia's African-American students rose to
144, a jump of six points since 2002 and four points higher than the national
average (140) for African-American students.
Hispanic students in Georgia scored 142 on the NAEP writing
test, an increase of 31 points from 2002 and one point higher than the national
average (141) for Hispanic students.
Superintendent Cox said Georgia has a strong commitment to
building students' writing skills. For instance, Georgia is one of few states
that tests students in writing at every level of education -- elementary
(grades 3 & 5), middle (grade 8) and high school (grade 11).
STATE RESULTS MIRROR PROGRESS
The good news in writing is further supported by the performance
of 8th graders on the state writing test they took in January.
"National and
state results lead to the same conclusion -- Georgia students are making
tremendous progress in writing," Superintendent Cox said.
About 77 percent of students met or exceeded standards on the
Grade 8 Writing Assessment -- a 10 point jump from 2007.
Georgia's African-American and Hispanic students also showed
dramatic gains on the state writing test. About 69 percent of African-American
students met or exceeded standards, an increase of 11 points from 2007. Also,
71 percent of Hispanic students met or exceeded standards, an increase of 15
points in one year.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assesses writing
for three purposes identified in the NAEP framework: narrative, informative,
and persuasive. The NAEP writing scale ranges from 0 to 300.
In 2007, the average
scale score for eighth-grade students in Georgia was
153. This was higher than their average score in 2002 (147) and
was
higher than their average score in 1998 (146).1
Georgia's average score (153) in 2007 was not significantly
different from
that of the nation's public schools (154).
Of the 45 states and one other jurisdiction that participated in
the 2007
eighth-grade assessment, students' average scale score in Georgia
was
higher than those in 10 jurisdictions, not significantly different
from those in
20 jurisdictions, and lower than those in 15 jurisdictions.2
The percentage of students in Georgia who performed at or above
the
NAEP Proficient level was 29 percent in 2007. This
percentage was
greater than that in 2002 (25 percent) and was greater than that
in 1998
(23 percent).
The percentage of students in Georgia who performed at or above
the
NAEP Basic level was 88 percent in 2007. This percentage was
greater
than that in 2002 (82 percent) and was greater than that in 1998
(83
percent).
In 2007, male students in Georgia had an average score that was
lower
than that of female students by 21 points. This performance gap
was not
significantly different from that of 1998 (18 points).
In 2007, Black students had an average score that was lower than
that of
White students by 19 points. This performance gap was not
significantly
different from that of 1998 (24 points).
In 2007, Hispanic students had an average score that was lower
than that
of White students by 20 points. Data are not reported for Hispanic
students
in 1998, because reporting standards were not met.
In 2007, students who were eligible for free/reduced-price school
lunch, an
indicator of poverty, had an average score that was lower than
that of
students who were not eligible for free/reduced-price school lunch
by 24
points. This performance gap was not significantly different from
that of
1998 (25 points).
In 2007, the score gap between students at the 75th percentile and
students at the 25th percentile was 46 points. This performance
gap was
not significantly different from that of 1998 (47 points).
Technology Counts is a joint project of Education
Week and the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center. As in
previous years, the EPE Research Center surveyed the states to assess the
status of K-12 educational technology across the nation in the areas of access,
use, and capacity. The report assigns grades to the states for their technology
performance overall and in those three categories. The state report assembles
key findings from the survey and other sources.
GeorgiaÕs scores:
Access to technology C
Use of technology A
Capacity to use technology A
Overall grade A-
Complete Georgia report:
http://www.edweek.org/media/ew/tc/2008/30GA_STR2008.h27.pdf
Survey Shows 12 States Offer No Programs, Others Falter; Gains are Threatened by Possible Recession
State-funded preschools served
over one million children last year, yet public pre-K was unavailable for most
3- and 4-year-olds, according to the annual survey released by the National
Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER).
Funded by The Pew Charitable
Trusts, The State of Preschool 2007
ranks all 50 states on the percentage of children served and spending per
child. It also compares the number of quality benchmarks each state meets for
the 2006-2007 school year. The survey found that enrollment, quality and state
spending per child increased.
Yet, 12 states offered no
state-funded preschool education and others faltered in their commitment to the
quality of their early education programs. The report showed that nationally
less than half of all 4-year-olds were enrolled in government-supported
preschool education programs and one quarter received no preschool. For
3-year-olds the situation was worse, with only 15 percent enrolled in public
programs and 50 percent receiving no early education.
Children from wealthy families
can attend expensive private preschools while the federal Head Start program
and most state-funded preschool education is targeted at lower income families.
Research shows that high-quality
preschool education for disadvantaged children improves later high school
graduation rates and college attendance, employment opportunities and earnings,
even marriage rates. It lessens future crime, delinquency and teenage
pregnancy. In economic terms, high-quality preschool education returns to the
individual and the public up to $17 for each $1 invested. New studies find
educational benefits for middle-income children as well.
Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Mississippi, Montana, New
Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South
Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming have no state-funded programs.
Serious problems also exist in four states Ð California, Texas, Florida, and Ohio Ð that are
home to one-third of all American preschoolers."
California, Texas, Florida, and Ohio are among only
seven states that meet less than half of NIEER's quality benchmarks. All four
spend less than the national average per child. Texas and California do not limit
class size. Ohio, Florida and California do not require
preschool teachers to have education comparable to public school teachers. Ohio serves not
even 5,000 of its nearly 150,000 4-year-olds.
On a more positive note, the
yearbook reported that in 2006-2007:
¥ Average state spending per
child was $3,642, halting a trend of declining per-child commitments that had
persisted since at least the 2002-2003 school year.
¥ More than one million 3- and
4-year-old children attended state-funded preschool education programs.
¥ Thirty states increased enrollment. Nationally, enrollment was
up by 80,000.
¥ Eight states met higher
quality standards. Yet, some states still require preschool education teachers
to have little more than a high school diploma.
¥ Of the 26 states that served
3-year-olds, enrollment increased in all but five states. Overall enrollment of
3-year-olds was up 10 percent, mostly due to increases in Illinois, which became
the first state to commit to serving all 3-year-olds.
Pre-K funding could be attached
to state funding formulas for K-12 education to ensure that funds increase
proportionally with enrollment as it expands and that funding per child is more
dependable the authors say. They also said the federal government could play a
vital role by providing an inducement to states to expand enrollment,
particularly at age 3, by offering matching funds.
The 2007 Yearbook pointed out
that one-quarter of all 4-year-olds and half of all 3s had no access to
preschool education. State and federal regular preschool education, special
education and Head Start combined served 39 percent of the country's
4-year-olds, and some attend private programs, leaving one-quarter of 4-year-olds
with no preschool program at all. At age 3, state and federal programs combined
to serve only 15 percent. Even with some others attending private programs, 50
percent of 3-year-olds had no access to a preschool education.
Other key findings in the yearbook
include:
Access:
¥ Enrollment increases in most
states tended to be modest, but some states made large gains. Enrollment
increased by 52 percent in Tennessee, 33 percent in Pennsylvania, and 17
percent in Illinois, Florida, and New York.
¥ State pre-K programs served 22
percent of 4-year-olds and 3 percent of 3-year-olds nationwide.
¥ Three states with "Pre-K
for All" served more than half of their 4-year-olds: Oklahoma (68 percent), Florida (58 percent),
and Georgia (53 percent). When Head Start and preschool special education
enrollments are taken into account, Oklahoma served 90
percent of all 4-year-olds; Florida, 71 percent; and Georgia, 65 percent.
Quality:
¥ North Carolina and Alabama once again met
all 10 of the NIEER quality standard benchmarks. Eight additional states--Arkansas, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South
Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington--had a
state-funded pre-K initiative meeting nine of the 10 benchmarks.
¥ Of the 38 states with
preschool education programs, Kansas met the fewest benchmarks, three. Arizona, California, Florida, Maine, Ohio, and Texas met only four.
¥ Fewer than half the 38 pre-K
states required all lead teachers in their programs to hold a bachelor's
degree. Eight states did not require any state preschool teachers to have
bachelor's degrees -- Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Minnesota, Ohio, and Washington.
Resources:
¥ The average state spending per
child enrolled was $3,642. Compared to the previous year, this is an increase
of $175 per child before adjusting for inflation (and an increase of $32 after
adjusting for inflation).
¥ Of the 38 states with
preschool education programs, state pre-K spending ranged from just over $3
million in Nevada, a state with about 72,000 3- and 4-year-olds, to $533 million in
Texas, which has about 758,000 3- and 4-year-olds.
¥ States still spent much less
per child on pre-K than on K-12.
¥ States continued to vary
greatly in their per-child spending. New Jersey was the top
ranked state, spending $10,494 per child. Twelve states continued to spend
nothing on state pre-K.
The State of Preschool 2007 is available
at
http://nieer.org/yearbook/pdf/yearbook.pdf
State Profiles are available at:
http://nieer.org/yearbook/states/
Georgia profile:
http://nieer.org/yearbook/pdf/yearbook.pdf#page=52