What was once simply theory is now close to becoming a reality for Georgia's teachers and students. State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox and the Curriculum and Instruction Staff at the Department of Education are pleased to announce the unveiling of the new Georgia Performance Standards, a world-class curriculum that will drive both instruction and assessment for Georgia's teachers and students.
As we work to lead the nation in improving student achievement, the Georgia Performance Standards will be the foundation upon which we build. Our teachers have long needed a published and usable document that establishes high standards, maintains clear expectations, and provides specific guidelines for facilitating student learning at a deeper level than possible under the old Quality Core Curriculum (QCC); now they have it. We have drawn on national and international best practices to produce a curriculum that will enable our schools and students to achieve at levels that will make Georgia an education leader not only in the southeast, but in the nation and the world as well.
From January 12, 2004 to April 12, 2004, you as an educator will be uniquely positioned to influence the shape of the new curriculum that will govern your classroom by sharing your questions and comments before it is finalized and submitted to the State Board of Education for approval. The Georgia Performance Standards, as well as explanatory videos and webcast presentations describing the major changes in each content area, are now available at www.gadoe.org. The Department of Education staff responsible for the development of the curriculum hope that you will take the opportunity to share your thoughts about the curriculum by filling out the feedback forms available on either of these two sites. DOE staff will use educator recommendations as they make final revisions to the document, which will be presented to the Board for approval in May and implemented this fall.
With the Georgia Performance Standards driving instruction across the state, Georgia will be well on the way to achieving its goal to lead the nation in improving student achievement.
