<<Back to
Georgia Education News
Georgia Education News
September 2008
Copyright © 2008 Queue, Inc.
IN
THIS ISSUE:
Morgan County Educator Named National Principal
of the Year
Dougherty County Schools Chooses Network
Security and Control
Carnegie Learning Sells $5 Million in Custom Math Curricula in Georgia
Free Review Copies Available
Queue,
Inc. publishes a wide variety of
CRCT Test prep books in language arts, reading comprehension, math and
science. These outstanding books are available for preview. Call 1-800-232-2224
or go to http://www.qworkbooks.com/GA/GA.html
for descriptions and to order.
(Advertisement)
Dr.
Mark D. Wilson, of Morgan County High School, was named the 2009 High School
Principal of the Year on Thursday, making it two years in a row that a
principal from Georgia has received the award.
"Mark
Wilson is an exceptional principal who has helped the students of Morgan County
High School make tremendous strides in a fairly short period of time,"
said State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox. "He's innovative and
motivated and uses creative strategies to get the most out of his students and
his teachers. He's very deserving of this award and I am very proud of him and
his team at Morgan County High School."
Officials from the
National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) surprised
Wilson during a student assembly at his school. Local and state officials were
also on hand to present Wilson with the award. A resolution from Superintendent
Cox and the State Board of Education was presented to Wilson during the ceremony.
Molly
Howard, of Jefferson County High School, was the NASSP High School Principal of
the Year for 2008.
"The
fact that the high school Principal of the Year has come from Georgia for two
consecutive years is a testament to the quality of our school leaders in
Georgia," Superintendent Cox said. "Mark and Molly are just two of
the many great principals we have throughout the state."
ABOUT
MARK WILSON
Wilson has been an educator for more than 20 years, beginning his career as a
Social Studies and English teacher in South Carolina.
In 2003, he was named the principal of Morgan County High School in Madison,
Georgia. During his tenure, he has implemented innovative strategies such as a
"hybrid schedule" that facilitates teacher planning and collaboration,
builds the teacher/student relationship and allows students to receive
additional help during the school day. Under Wilson's leadership, Morgan County
High School has dramatically increased the number of students taking Advanced
Placement and other rigorous courses.
Since 2003, Morgan County High School has raised its graduation rate more than
10 points to 82 percent and has closed the achievement gap in critical areas,
including English language arts. Morgan County High School is part of the
Morgan County Public School system, under the leadership of Superintendent Stan
DeJarnett.
MORE INFORMATION
- MetLife/NASSP National Principal of the Year Awards: http://www.principals.org/awards
- Morgan County High School: http://www.morgan.k12.ga.us/mchs/
-
2008 Principal of the Year Molly Howard: http://www.gadoe.org/pea_communications.aspx?ViewMode=1&obj=1425
The
2008 SAT results contain some good news for Georgia but also demonstrate the
need to continue to implement more rigorous standards, especially in
mathematics.
"The
results once again show that Georgia's African American and Hispanic students
are outperforming their peers across the nation, and that's good news,"
said State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox. "But clearly we must
continue to raise expectations for our students in mathematics, reading and all
areas of the curriculum."
Governor
Sonny Perdue said: "GeorgiaÕs schools are seeing improvement in graduation
rates, ACT scores and other test results, and we will analyze these SAT results
and our SAT programs to make sure we are doing everything we can to help
students prepare for this test. Once again, our African American and Hispanic
students outscored their counterparts across the nation, but we will not be
satisfied until our aggregate results reflect the talented students and
teachers that are working hard to improve achievement."
Georgia's
2008 seniors -- including public, private and homeschooled students -- had an
average score of 1,466 on the SAT and a national rank of 47th. Public school
seniors scored a 1,453 on the SAT in 2008 and a national rank of 45th in the
nation in 2008.
It
is expected that the results on the SAT and all tests will improve as the state
continues the implementation of its more rigorous curriculum and new graduation
requirements. The new graduation requirement calls for all students to take
four years of mathematics and science, while providing enough flexibility for
students to pursue their different areas of interest.
FOCUS
ON MATH
Superintendent
Cox said that Georgia can better prepare students for college entrance exams,
and raise its average SAT scores, by continuing to focus on improving student
achievement in core areas, especially mathematics. (http://www.gadoe.org/ci_services.aspx?PageReq=CIServMath)
Georgia's students were 22
points under the national average in mathematics -- the largest difference of
any of the three parts of the test. Even Georgia students who took higher level
mathematics classes trailed the national average when compared to other
advanced math students.
"Our
mathematics scores are like an anchor -- they are weighing us down and keeping
us from moving up as a state," said Superintendent Cox. "I know the
state's new mathematics curriculum and the graduation rule requirements will
better prepare students for the SAT, for post-secondary education and for the
world of work."
None
of Georgia's 2008 seniors had been taught using the state's new mathematics
curriculum. The Georgia Performance Standards in mathematics are being
introduced to students in grade 9 this school year. The new standards will be
phased in one grade at a time until 2012. Also starting with this year's
ninth-graders, all students will have to take four years of mathematics in
order to graduate, not just college-bound students.
HIGHER
THAN THE NATION
Georgia's
African-American and Hispanic students scored higher than the nation once again
in 2008.
African-American
students in Georgia had an average combined score of 1,282, which was two
points higher than the national average for African-American students. Hispanic
students in Georgia had an average combined score of 1,423, which was 59 points
higher than the national average for Hispanic students.
Georgia
continues to have one of the largest African-American test-taking populations
in the nation. In fact, Georgia's African-American test takers account for
nearly a tenth of the African-American test takers in the nation.
"More
of our students each year are pursuing the dream of going to college,"
Superintendent Cox said. "Therefore, we must make sure all students are
well-prepared for what they will see on the SAT so they will have a better
chance of getting into the college of their choice and being successful once
they get there."
ONGOING
EFFORT AND ANALYSIS
Superintendent
Cox said the department is going to closely look at the SAT data to try to
figure out why statewide achievement is stagnant.
There
are many efforts underway to improve SAT scores, including free on-line SAT
preparation classes to all high school students; paying for every public school
10th grader to take the PSAT; training teachers around the state on how to use
PSAT data to guide instruction and increasing the number of students taking
rigorous Advanced Placement classes.
"On
other national tests, including the National Assessment of Educational Progress
and the ACT, Georgia's scores are rising. But on the SAT, we saw a slight
drop," Superintendent Cox said. "We need to work with the College Board
and figure out what's going on."
A
quick analysis of the data provided by the College Board indicates there are
some trends that deserve further study. Most notably, fewer students are taking
the SAT more than once. Since 2005, the percentage of students taking the SAT
more than once has dropped from 63 percent to 55 percent. This is significant
because students who take the test more than once often score higher the second
time. Since the College Board reports the scores of the last test a student takes,
this could pull the scores down.
This drop in SAT retesters coincides with
an increase in the number of students who are taking the ACT. In 2008, about 38
percent of Georgia's seniors took the ACT and the state's composite score and
national rank jumped.
National
Trends in Participation
Minority SAT takers have experienced
substantial growth in participation during the last decade. Hispanics have
expanded the most rapidly, more than doubling in number. Growth among Asian
Americans and African Americans reached 61 percent and 52 percent,
respectively.
Female students continue to form a majority
of test-takers among all ethnic groups. Female students made up 57 percent of
Hispanic and 57 percent of African American SAT takers in 2008. More than half of
the Asian American (51 percent) and white test-takers (53 percent) were women.
Low-income studentsÕ participation has also
remained steady. These students are increasingly taking advantage of the
College BoardÕs fee-waiver program, which granted $22 million in fee waivers
and free services to qualifying students in 2008. About one out of every seven
students in the 2008 cohort who took the SAT this year received free
registration for up to two SAT tests and two SAT Subject Testsª, four free
flexible score reports, and discounted SAT Readiness Programª materials.
The
Georgia
Report is available here:
http://professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/Georgia_CBS_08.pdf
Dougherty County Schools in Albany, GA has selected DeepNines
iTrust to secure their students and control their network.
Dougherty County Schools realized that despite their investment
in a costly content filter, students were easily using web proxies and other
circumvention techniques to access inappropriate material online during school
hours. The district also needed a solution that could provide granular network
control.
ÒOur favorite thing about the DeepNines solution is the degree
of control it gives us,Ó said Bill Dorminy, technology director at Dougherty
County Schools. ÒWith our old filter, we often had to make broad network
changes to accommodate a single user but with DeepNines we have the ability to
set policies for a variety of different users and situations.Ó
Dougherty
County Schools is located in the Albany, Georgia area with an enrollment of
just under 17,000. Dougherty County Schools believes that students must have
the educational foundation to succeed in an ever changing, global society. The
district focuses on integrating technology into the classroom, and ensuring
that it is used as effectively as possible. One of the districtÕs mantras is
that Òtechnology must be infused into instructional practice and student
learning until technological competency becomes routine.Ó
DeepNines iTrust gave Dougherty County Schools the assurance
that their students were utilizing the districtÕs instructional technology to
its fullest potential. iTrustÕs granular network visibility has allowed the
district to make informed decisions about the types of content and levels of
access allowed on their network.
ÒThe DeepNines solution has been incredible,Ó said Dorminy. ÒFor
the first time, we have complete control of our network, and we know that our
students are utilizing the Internet for its educational resources and content.Ó
More Rigorous Georgia
Performance Standards Create Opportunity for Publisher of Research-Based
Mathematics Program
Sales
of Carnegie Learning, Inc.Õs new Georgia Mathematics 1 and 2 curricula have
reached $5 million since publication of the program earlier this year,
according to the company. Carnegie Learning, a leading provider of research
based math curricula for middle schools, high schools, and the higher education
market, reports that over 130 Georgia middle and high schools have adopted the
education publisherÕs customized Georgia Mathematics 1 and 2 designed,
specifically, to meet new, more rigorous high school math requirements being
implemented by the Georgia Department of Education this fall.
The
purchasing districts receive Carnegie Learning textbooks and Professional
Development services, and some districts have purchased Carnegie LearningÕs
Cognitive Tutor¨ software for Math Support which is an intelligent software
program that provides differentiated instruction by adapting the learning path
to each studentÕs understanding of mathematical concepts. Among the 55
districts implementing Carnegie LearningÕs Georgia Mathematics program are
Bartow, Clayton, Douglas, Forsyth, and Hall County Schools.
ÒReports
of declining U.S. competitiveness in mathematics and science at the
post-secondary level have prompted measures in statehouses across the country
to raise standards and achievement in science and math at the high school
level,Ó said Trace A. Urdan, Managing Director at Signal Hill. ÒIn many cases,
this is reinforced by new high school graduation testing requirements. The
dramatic curriculum changes in Georgia are one example of this phenomenon, but
by no means the only one. Results-oriented curriculum providers that can
rapidly and flexibly respond to this evolving dynamic with research-based
content should be well-positioned to help educators as they respond to the
publicÕs desire to raise the bar for math education.Ó