Sen. Lindsey Tippins Honored for Testing and Evaluation Bill
The State Board of Education convened for its June meeting on June 9, 2016. Committee meetings were held on June 8. Thursday's complete agenda is available
HERE. This month's board agenda included initiation of proposed state board rules which incorporate bills which successfully passed the 2016 General Assembly, including SB 364, popular state testing and educator evaluation reform. The proposed rule regarding SB 364 is available
HERE.
During his Superintendent Report, State School Superintendent Richard Woods surprised Senate Education Chair Lindsey Tippins (R-Marietta) by honoring him with the Superintendent's Impact Award because of Tippins' leadership in sponsoring SB 364.
|
Deputy Superintendent Melissa Fincher updated the board regarding recent Milestones testing administration. Dr. Fincher said that the state is responsible for three types of testing interruptions that occurred during the recent administration:
- On April 19, student difficulty progressing through the test,
- Difficulty with testing on iPads, and
- Problems with social studies testing due to downloading of graphics.
These three problems, coupled with local issues which caused testing interruptions, lead to complaints. More problematically, 80 school districts received student scores late. Dr. Fincher expressed a desire to hire more individuals to score standardized tests and to work with local districts to move testing windows earlier in the school year to allow more time for scoring.
The state greatly exceeded its goal of 30 percent online test administration, and the greater-than-expected (almost 70 percent) online administration appears to have contributed to problems with test interruption and receipt of student scores.
|
Social Studies Standards Adopted
The State Board of Education voted to adopt the Georgia Standards of Excellence for Social Studies, available
HERE. During discussion on this item, Board Chair Mike Royal, who served on the committee reviewing the standards, expressed concern that the state is "boxing teachers in" with too many mandates.
The standards were adopted over the objection of some educators concerned about the inclusion of the Christmas holiday in a list of federal holidays inserted in the kindergarten social studies standards. Read more from the AJC.
|
State Board Member Resigns
Announced at this month's board meeting was the resignation of Dr. Sandra Reed who has accepted a position at Emory University in Atlanta.
|
|
