Georgia’s ESSA plan has been approved! (January 19) Here are the details: U.S. Department of Education. Georgia Department of Education. Macon Telegraph. Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The Georgia Department of Education submitted its ESSA plan to the U.S. Department of Education for review and approval. (September 18) Read it here.
It is time to do your homework! We have long supported the implementation of the higher Georgia Performance Standards in our classrooms. We believe we are seeing results across the state. Now there’s something new for you to learn about.
People aren’t talking much about the “Common Core” anymore – even politicians – but now the discussion has moved to ESSA…. the Every Student Succeeds Act. The bi-partisan measure was signed into law by President Barack Obama in December 2015. It is designed to lessen federal influence. All states have now submitted their plans. Some have already been approved and Georgia now waits to learn whether our plan needs more work or is ready to be implemented.
We will be posting more ESSA information here in the coming weeks. For more ESSA news and resources, visit the General Resources page of this web site and the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education’s Every Student Succeeds Act page. Also, to stay up to speed on higher standards in our state and the U.S., visit the Latest News page of this web site.
Resources:
- 5 Things Parents Need to Know About ESSA. Helpful tidbits from Edmentum.
- ESSA – What’s It All About? More specifics on what the Every Student Succeeds Act is all about from the Center for Parent Information and Resources.
- ESSA – What’s In It for Parents? from NAFSCE – the National Association of Family, School and Community Engagement.
- Scary Fact: Parents Don’t Have Enough Information, provided by the Collaborative for Student Success
- Why Do I Have to Explain My Answers? Advice for Parents in the Age of Common Core. This bit of first-hand wisdom comes from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute.
- WhyProficiencyMatters.com is designed to help parents answer a critical question: Is my state preparing my child for the future?
- Empowering Parents & Communities through Quality Public Reporting: The Data Quality Campaign (DQC) has produced a series on public reporting that provides recommendations for everyone with a stake in education so that they are able to find trustworthy, easy-to-understand education data in order to make informed decisions for improved student achievement.
- Milestones Videos: Great!Kids offers this free online collection of videos aimed at helping parents understand grade-level expectations in grades K-5. Milestones show students demonstrating what success looks like in reading, writing and math, grade by grade.
- Be a Learning Hero: Here you will find a collection of organizations with a shared mission – to help parents support their children along their learning journey. They want to provide you with the tools and resources that can help you support your child’s success in school. Check the “Summer Stride.” Good Morning America featured this in their story: A New Way Parents Can Help Kids with Homework.
- The National PTA Parents’ Guide to Student Success: This is a collection of guides in English and Spanish that are designed to inform parents about the Common Core State Standards and explain how they can support their children’s success. Here is another PTA product (and partner Univision): Readiness Roadmap.
- Georgia Department of Education: Georgiastandards.org was created by the Georgia Department of Education. It allows parents easy access to information about the state’s curriculum standards. The web site also offers a variety of free resources to help you motivate and support your child’s curriculum at home while reinforcing the standards your child is working on in the classroom.
- The NBC Education Nation Toolkit: The NBC Education Nation Parent Toolkit is an easily accessible parent toolkit to help parents understand the Common Core and participate in their children’s academic success. This free resource is a one-stop-shop for parents as a website and mobile app.
- Military Families for High Standards: Put yourself in the shoes/boots of our military personnel who move from installation to installation / country to country over the span of a career. This means their children will see many schools during their K-12 academic careers. This site addresses their unique situation.
- 4 Questions Parents Should Ask a Principal or Teacher to Ensure Their Success as suggested by The Root.
Articles of interest to parents (visit the Latest News page for more stories)
Parents need more information to hold schools accountable
We hope you will join us in our campaign to tell the Georgia Performance Standards’ story clearly and factually. Please provide your contact information and we will update you on developments. Also, we are interested in having your thoughts and ideas on how to better inform other parents and family members.