Georgia: College and Career Policies

Professional Program Standards and Requirements: Educator Preparation Policy

Programs must meet the following requirements for approval: admission requirements, recommendation for the pre-service certificate, program content and curriculum requirements, requirements for partnerships, and field and clinical experiences, testing requirements, and program completion requirements.

Content Standards: Standards Authority

The State Board of Education has full authority to adopt standards.

Content Standards: English as a Second Language

English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) is a state-funded instructional program for eligible English Learners (ELs) in grades K-12 (Georgia School Law Code 1981, § 20-2-156, enacted in 1985).

Educator Preparation and Licensure: Teacher Licensure Renewal

For both types of Georgia professional teaching certificates, standard and performance-based, there are different requirements for licensure renewal.

Content Standards: English Language Arts

The Georgia Standards of Excellence describe a vertically aligned, benchmarked set of performance standards for students in English Language Arts and Literacy. The standards establish a staircase of increasing complexity in what students must be able to read and write so that all students are ready for the demands of college and/or career level communication no later than the end of high school.

Content Standards: World Languages

The Georgia Performance Standards for Modern Languages (GPS) are based on Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century and the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language(ACTFL) Performance Guidelines for K-12 Learners. The GPS are organized in outline form, integrating the national standards and the three modes of communication: interpersonal (IP), interpretive (INT), and presentational (P), as well as Cultural Perspectives, Practices and Products (CU), and Connections, Comparisons, and Communities (CCC).

Graduation Requirements: English Language Arts

Georgia requires 4 credits of English to graduate.

Content Standards: Career and Technical Education Standards

The State Board of Education has authority over the adoption of Career and Technical Education Standards.

Student Assessments: English Language Arts

Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (3-8 for Science, ELA, and Math), End of Course Tests, Georgia High School Graduation Test (Science, Social Studies, Math, ELA), GAA (Alternative assessment), Writing Assessments

Content Standards: Computer Science

Content Standards: Mathematics

The Georgia Mathematics standards are designed to achieve a balance among concepts, skills, and problem solving. They provide clear expectations for curriculum, instruction, assessment, and student work. The standards stress rigorous concept development and real-world applications while maintaining a strong emphasis on computational and procedural skills.

Graduation Requirements: Additional Graduation Requirements

Georgia has 8 "other" credits required for graduation.

Graduation Requirements: Mathematics

Georgia requires 4 credits of math for graduation.

Educator Professional Growth and Development: Administrator Licensure Renewal

In order to renew an administrator certificate, applicants must complete 6 semester hours of coursework or 10 credits of Georgia Professional Learning Units.

Student Assessments: Mathematics

Content Standards: Arts (Performing)

Georgia has performing arts standards in dance, music, theatre, and media.

Content Standards: Physical Education

Georgia adopted physical education standards in 2009 for implementation during the 2010-2011 school year.

Content Standards: Arts (Visual)

Educator Professional Growth and Development: Professional Development

Georgia has not adopted any professional development standards.

Student Assessments: Assessment Authority

The Georgia State Board of Education has full authority to adopt assessments.

Content Standards: Science

New Science standards were adopted in 2016, for implimentation in the 2017-2018 school year.

Educator Performance Evaluation: Educator Evaluation Authority

Graduation Requirements: Science

Georgia requires 4 credits of science to graduate.

Educator Performance Evaluation: Educator Evaluation Policy

As part of the Race to the Top Initiative (RT3), Georgia, in collaboration with RT3 Districts, educational partners, and the Evaluation Task Force Committee, developed a new effectiveness system for teacher evaluation and professional growth. In Spring 2012, Race to the Top Districts participated in a pilot of the Teacher Keys Effectiveness System. These 26 districts provided critical feedback and data that was used to revise and improve a new system designed for building teacher effectiveness throughout Georgia. The new Teacher Keys Effectiveness System (TKES) consists of multiple components, including the Teacher Assessment on Performance Standards (TAPS), Surveys of Instructional Practice, and measures of Student Growth and Academic Achievement.

State Policy Database

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