By Stuart Bennett and Deborah White

What a difference one month makes, the September meeting of the Georgia State Board of Education was as uneventful as the August meeting was event filled!   No appearances by the Governor, or press conferences to address cheating allegations; just a very light agenda with very few actions taken by the state board.   Their  usual meeting format was in place with Committee meetings held Wednesday morning; followed by the Committee of the Whole or COW as we call it and the official meeting taking place on Thursday, so, let’s get this party started. The Rules committee had a very light agenda with only six items for action this month.  The majority of this committee’s discussion was centered on the board’s initiating of State Board of Education Rule 160-5-1-.36 LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD GOVERNANCE a policy designed to implement Senate Bill 84 passed during the past legislative session.

SB 84, passed by the Georgia General Assembly in 2010, provides for various changes to O.C.G.A. sections relating to local boards of education, including the eligibility for office, the size of local boards, per diem allowances and expenses for local board members, the identification of the fundamental role of the board and local superintendents, the establishment of a code of ethics, the identification of conflicts of interest, and the possibility of suspension and replacement if a local school district loses accreditation due to board action. SB 84 revises the employment eligibility requirements for local school superintendents and revises training standards for members of local boards of education.  Board chair Wanda Barrs led the discussion and centered it on the state boards desire to create standards for local board training, not to create standards that would make quality or value judgments about the work of the local boards of education. 

On Thursday with the newly appointed Chief of Staff Erin Hames presiding the absence of State Superintendent Brad Bryant, the state board took the following actions:

• For the 2010-2011 school year, the waiver of SBOE Rule 160-4-2-.05 Middle School Programs for Tift County Schools.
• for the 2010-2011 and/or 2011-2012 school years, the waiver of SBOE Rule 160-5-1-.22 Personnel Required waiving the counselors requirements for Heard County and to allow an Elementary Principal to oversee both the Primary and the elementary schools in Brantley County.
• For the 2009-2010 school year, the waiver of SBOE Rule 160-5-3-.08 School Bus Drivers for the Schley County School System.
• for the 2010-2011 school year the waiver of SBOE Rule 160-5-1-.01 SCHOOL YEAR, section (1)(b), (2)(a) to decrease 190 full-length days for certified staff to less than 176 full-length days for certified staff allowed by SBOE for the Ben Hill and McDuffie County School Systems.

The department staff provided an update to the board for the following rules that will be on their October agenda:

• PEA –Repeal/Initiation of Rule 160-5-2-.05 EXPERIENCE FOR SALARY PURPOSES and Repeal of Rule 160-5-2-.04 STATE SALARIES AND SUPPLEMENTS (Clara J. Keith)
• SIA – Amend SBOE Rule 160-4-2-.03 LIST OF STATE-FUNDED K-8 SUBJECTS AND 9-12 COURSES FOR STUDENTS ENTERING NINTH GRADE PRIOR TO 2008 (Pam Smith)
• SIA – Amend SBOE Rule 160-4-2-.20 STATE-FUNDED K-8 SUBJECTS AND 9-12 COURSES FOR STUDENTS ENTERING NINTH GRADE IN 2008 AND SUBSEQUENT YEARS (Pam Smith)
• SIA – Amend SBOE Rule 160-4-4-1 0 LEARNING RESOURCES SELECTION AND RECOMMENDATION (Pam Smith)
• SIA – Amend SBOE Rule 160-4-2-.07 INSTRUCTION IN UNITED STATES AND GEORGIA HISTORY AND GOVERNMENT  to add a requirement for the Georgia Pledge of Allegiance.(Pam Smith)

The state board took the following Budget actions this month:

• A contract with Northwest Georgia Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA) at a cost not to exceed $82,800.00 in State Funds for the development and coordination of endorsement programs.
• a contract with Cayen Systems, Inc. at a cost not to exceed $136,000 in Federal Funds for the Cayen After School data management system for 21st Century Community Leaning Centers.
• award the Even Start Family Literacy Grant to the Department of Early Care and Learning for the purpose of increasing the allocation of continuation grants to nine Even Start Family Literacy programs by $1,661,335 for a new total amount not to exceed $1,993,602 in Federal funds
• Award a grant to five LEAs at a cost not to exceed $137,475.00 in Federal Funds for implementation of the GaDOE Special Education Teacher Induction Project.

• Award a grant to the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD); Crisis Stabilization Programs located in selected school systems; the Department of Corrections; the Department of Labor and selected school systems for evaluation service at a cost not to exceed $2,340,000.00 in State Funds.
• a contract with TransACT Communications, Inc. at a cost not to exceed $200,170.00 in Federal Funds (Title III, IDEA and Title I) for providing access to a web-based library of multilingual forms.
• award a grant to selected Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and Regional Educational Service Agencies (RESAs) serving as fiscal agents for Georgia Learning Resource System (GLRS) Centers at a cost not to exceed $1,228,500.00 in Federal Funds for implementation of the State Personnel Development Grant for Special Education
• Award a grant to Regional Education Service Agencies and LEAs serving as fiscal agents for seven Georgia Learning Resource (GLRS) Programs at a cost not to exceed $125,000.00 in Federal funds for the provision of professional learning, coaching and follow-up support to selected LEAs that did not meet the Annual Performance Report target for Least Restrictive Environment (LRE).
• A contract with Human Kinetics at a cost not to exceed $39,900.00 in Federal Funds for Fitness gram 9.0 school licenses and test kits.

The Charter Committee took no action at this meeting.

Finally this month, an update on the Math:  Superintendent Brad Bryant provided a College and Career Ready Update.  He expressed continued support of the one diploma and listed the options available to students with the one diploma.  The numerous Career Technology Science Courses approved for the 4th year option for science were listed.  The 4th year mathematics options included--Mathematical Decision Making in Personal Finance, Mathematical Decision Making (Pathway Modules) and Mathematical Decision Making in industry and Government, more courses are in development.  Bryant recommended for consideration at the October meeting concerning changes to the high school mathematics GPS.

The items for consideration are: 

• Rename high school mathematics courses, using the more traditional title, such as, intermediate algebra; intermediate geometry, advanced algebra, pre-calculus, etc.; all course titles would be followed by “CCGPS” indicating the alignment to the Common Core. 
• Analyze standards (100% alignment to Common Core?)
• Align the integration, but don’t lose the frameworks
• Conduct a precision review of current GPS to align with CCSS
• Sample Student Schedules—showing three different pathways for students
• College and Career Ready Performance Index
• Transition from GHSGT to EOCT