GEORGIA PERFORMANCE STANDARDS – UPDATE

JANUARY - 2007

Mathematics – The teachers in the math department are participating in the Hall County Math Summit. The summit is a joint initiative between Gainesville City Schools and Hall County Schools, and includes both high school and middle school teachers and administrators. By drawing on the experience of the middle school teachers, the high school is trying to foresee problems and prepare solutions in the areas of: acceleration, placement, transitioning, scheduling, and assessment. Additionally the math teachers will be attending the June session on unpacking the standards sponsored by Pioneer RESA.

Social Studies – The teachers in the Social Studies department are currently in the process of rewriting the pre/post tests to coincide with the current GPS instead of a mixture of GPS & QCC standards. They have created teaching units that are aligned with the GPS for the EOCT courses (US History & Economics). Teachers have also sent key personnel from each social studies course for training on how to incorporate the GPS in our classrooms every day.

Science – The new standards have been unpacked and are currently on the web. Teachers are implementing horizontal alignment of the new standards by using the same unit tests and pre-post tests. All EOCT courses incorporate remediation based on the post test scores prior to the EOCT. Teachers meet as a department and analyze the data of these tests and the standards that are being met as well as the standards that are not being met in the classrooms, and determine what can do to improve instruction. Teachers meet as a department as well as with the literacy coach, Cindy White, to analyze this data, and with Sheryl Williams, the testing coordinator.

English – The teachers in English have developed course unit plans that are aligned to the GPS for all courses. In addition standards-based common assessments for each unit were developed for all teachers of the same course to use in order to remain aligned within the department. The department is maintaining a database of activities aligned to specific GPS for use by all teachers in the department. The benchmark tests are being continuously updated and aligned with the GPS, GHSGT and the EOCT. Grade level meetings are conducted to maintain alignment of activities and assessment for each course and to analyze data from the benchmark tests. New GHSGT review materials have been developed for the junior level courses to be implemented on a daily basis.