Great teachers recognize great assessments. As policy and education leaders work to make sure state tests are measuring the problem-solving, writing, and critical-thinking skills students need for success, they should convene and rely on teachers to review test quality and help answer the question: Do the questions on our state test reflect…

Talented leaders are essential to building and sustaining successful organizations. This is especially true for schools, where principal leadership plays a major role in fostering student success. Research shows that principals are a significant school-level factor affecting student achievement, second only to classroom teachers. Like other types…

One of the greatest promises of the charter school movement has been the potential to create diverse school models to meet the varied needs of children, families, and communities. As policy makers and charter leaders have recognized the need to hold charters accountable for strong performance, however, there has been a move towards more…

This is the fifth report from an evaluation of the Principal Pipeline Initiative (PPI), in which six large urban school districts have received support for strengthening novice principals' capabilities through specific strategies. Data for the evaluation were collected from late 2011 through spring 2015, using interviews with district…

The recommendations in this brief create a framework for using data effectively to make instructional decisions. The availability of student-level data for educators has pushed forward the movement to strengthen the role of data to guide instruction and improve student learning. While improvements in technology and assessments, as well as recent…

Talented leaders are essential to building and sustaining successful organizations. This is especially true for schools, where principal leadership plays a major role in fostering student success. Research shows that principals are a significant school-level factor affecting student achievement, second only to classroom teachers. Like other types…

Hyper-accountability, corporatization, deficit ideology, and Ruby Payne's preparation of teachers to comply with these and other atrocities are not merely markers of philosophical shifts in education. They are manifestations of a neoliberal remaking of public schooling into a private and corporate enterprise. Collectively, these trends are seen…

What really works in alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards? Every state is working to know the answer--both to comply with federal requirements for evaluating students with severe cognitive disabilities, and to ensure that all students reach their full potential. This comprehensive book is the first to gather today's best…

If a school improvement plan includes input from all stakeholders and focuses on data-driven processes that are linked to teacher appraisal, it can be powerful in leading the school toward the common mission of achieving student success. Linking the school improvement plan to the teacher appraisal process creates a system whereby all individuals…

A comprehensive model for planning and evaluating secondary vocational education programs in Georgia was developed to assist the state's vocational supervisors and directors in planning and improving vocational programs so as to make them more effective in enhancing students' basic and employability skills. The model is based on the following…

The monograph presents the guidelines of the Georgia Department of Education for annual evaluation of school speech-language pathologists (SLP). A combination of assessment methods is recommended including observation and review of records. The philosophy and purposes of the SLP evaluation is briefly outlined and includes identification and…

The criteria listed in this manual are designed to evaluate teacher education programs in Georiga colleges that voluntarily agree to meet these standards. The standards were designed so that each institution has the opportunity to reflect its philosophy in programs offered, since most of the criteria reflect broad experiences that should be…

Discusses teachers' responses to a survey on teacher competency testing. Describes Georgia's competency test and its results. Investigates the use of classroom performance as a test factor. Presents Georgia's test development process. (MLV)

This compilation of Georgia standards for public education targets two types of standards: those required of a school or local school system and those for field-test purposes (for possible future standards). Standards are stated briefly and accompanied by interpretations and references to Georgia law or Georgia Board of Education policy. Space is…

The manual is intended to help local education agencies implement Georgia's laws for providing effective instructional programs for deaf-blind children. A definition and eligibility criteria for deaf-blind children are presented. A section discussing due process considers screening, referral, comprehensive evaluation, individualized education…