If you’ve ever complained about what your child is learning in math or how they are learning it, you actually have a chance to give input to state school officials.
The Georgia Department of Education has posted new K-12 Mathematics Standards for a 30-day public comment period. If approved, the standards will be implemented in the 2022-23 school year, following a year of teacher training.
The State Board of Education is scheduled to vote on adoption of the standards at its August meeting.
Throughout the 2021-2022 school year, teachers will receive training and professional learning, new resources will be developed, assessments that are aligned to these standards will be developed, and communication will be provided to parents to ensure a smooth transition.
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“We began this process with a commitment to ensuring the best possible academic standards for our state, structured to ensure teachers, parents, students, and communities can truly partner to ensure students’ success,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “Since then, thousands of Georgians – from teachers to parents to community leaders – have come together to make that a reality. The new standards are Georgia-owned and Georgia-grown, clear, age- and developmentally appropriate, and remain laser-focused on the preparation students need for the future. I am grateful to all those who participated in this process and believe these standards represent the best step forward for Georgia education.”
The new standards leverage the insight and expertise of thousands of Georgians to support math instruction that is Georgia-developed and provides a strong foundation beginning in the early grades. Drafted by Georgia mathematics teachers with input from educational leaders, parents, students, business and industry leaders, and community members, the standards are designed to be clear, understandable, and present a reasonable amount of content in each year – so that students can truly master concepts rather than simply being quickly exposed to them.
The standards were initially posted for public review and comment in March 2021. Based on comments received at that time, Woods convened additional working groups to review and consider, address, or incorporate feedback provided by Georgia’s citizens, educators, and stakeholders. For example, many who provided public comment felt some standards were not age- and developmentally appropriate, and some grade levels still presented too much content to cover in one year. The committees worked to address these stakeholder concerns.
How the standards were developed
In August 2019, Governor Brian Kemp and Woods announced the review and revision of Georgia’s K-12 mathematics standards and outlined their commitment to the best set of academic standards for Georgia students.
A Citizens Review Committee composed of students, parents, business and community leaders, and concerned Georgia citizens, along with an Academic Review Committee composed of postsecondarypartners, child development experts, and business leaders, provided initial feedback and reviewed draft standards. The drafts themselves were composed by working groups of more than 200 math educators from all areas of the state. Additionally, more than 14,000 Georgians participated in public surveys to provide feedback on the standards.
The standards development process was temporarily paused in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The draft standards and additional information can be found at the following links:
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