REVISED
-- November 2004
What
are the
Georgia
Performance Standards?
The
Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) are new criteria for measuring
assessment, instruction and student work in
Georgia
public schools. They make
up the state’s new curriculum, replacing the Quality Core Curriculum
(QCC) objectives that originated in 1985.
What
subjects and grade levels will have performance standards?
Performance
standards have been developed for four major subject areas --
English/language arts, mathematics, science and social studies – in
grades K-12.
What
will the GPS do to improve education?
The
performance standards are designed to improve education by providing
clear learning guidelines for teachers and students.
The GPS will:
- Define
the level of work that demonstrates student achievement of the
standard
- Isolate
and identify the skills a student needs to use the knowledge
- Isolate
and identify the skills a student needs to problem-solve, reason,
communicate and make connections with other information
- Tell
the teacher how to determine how well a student knows the material
or can use and apply the information.
Who
developed the GPS?
The
GPS were developed by teachers and other educators, and state and
national experts. After
public input, the standards are approved by the State Board of
Education.
Fulton
County
teachers and administrators provided input to the process and the
county was represented on some of the state committees.
Are
these new standards different than the ones the state had before?
An
audit done a few years ago on the Georgia Quality Core Curriculum (QCC)
found that the QCC lacked depth, could not be covered in a reasonable
amount of time and did not meet national standards.
The new Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) provide a revised
and strengthened curriculum that will guide both instruction and
assessment. The GPS:
- Sets
high expectations for all students;
- Meets
or exceeds national level standards;
- Increases
academic rigor through curriculum revision (more depth, not
breadth);
- Uses
curriculum to guide teaching and learning, and
- Aligns
assessments and accountability to curriculum.
What
difference will this make in
Fulton
County
?
Fulton
County
teachers and principals are
being trained on the GPS and will begin applying them in the classroom
on the schedule set by the state (see below).
Courses are being updated and tests are being revised to mesh
with the new standards.
Does
Fulton
have to adopt the new GPS?
Yes,
the state requires all
Georgia
public school systems to adopt the new standards and cover, at
minimum, the material in the state curriculum.
However, school systems are free to supplement the curriculum
with additional material.
When
will the standards be implemented?
The
standards will be phased in over the next five years.
The current timeline for each subject is shown below.
|
2004-05 School Year
·
Teachers and principals trained in:
o
English/language arts, grades K-12
o
Math, grade 6
o
Science, grades 6-7 and 9-12
·
Students tested on old QCC objectives
2005-06 School Year
·
Students taught and tested using
|
2007-08 School Year
·
Students taught and tested using GPS in:
o
English/language arts, grades K-12
o
Math, grade K-8
o
Science, grades K-12
o
Social studies, grades 6 and 8-12
·
Teachers and principals trained in:
o
Math, grades 9-12
o
Social studies, grades K-5 and 7
|
|
GPS in:
o
English/language arts, grades K-12
o
Math, grade 6
o
Science, grades 6-7 and 9-12
·
Teachers and principals trained in:
o
Math, grades K-2 and 7
o
Science, grades 3-5
|
2008-09 School Year
·
Students taught and tested using GPS in:
o
English/language arts, grades K-12
o
Math, grade K-12
o
Science, grades K-12
o
Social studies, grades K-5 and 7
|
|
2006-07 School Year
·
Students taught and tested using GPS in:
o
English/language arts, grades K-12
o
Math, grade K-2 and 6-7
o
Science, grades 3-7 and 9-12
·
Teachers and principals trained in:
o
Math, grades 3-5 and 8
o
Science, grades K-2 and 8
o
Social studies, grades 6 and 8-12
|
|
For more information, contact the
Curriculum Office at 404-763-6898.
|
|
|
Georgia Performance Standards 