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Introduction to Georgia Performance Standards
What was once simply theory is now close to becoming a reality for Georgia’s
teachers and students. State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox and the
Curriculum and Instruction Staff at the Department of Education are pleased to
announce the unveiling of the new Georgia Performance Standards, a world-class
curriculum that will drive both instruction and assessment for Georgia’s
teachers and students.
As we work to lead the nation in improving student achievement, the Georgia
Performance Standards will be the foundation upon which we build. Our teachers
have long needed a published and usable document that establishes high
standards, maintains clear expectations, and provides specific guidelines for
facilitating student learning at a deeper level than possible under the old
Quality Core Curriculum (QCC). Now they have it. We have drawn on national and
international best practices to produce a curriculum that will enable our
schools and students to achieve at levels that will place Georgia not just at
the top of the southeast, but at the top of the nation and the world.
Now it’s time for you to give us your opinion. We hope that you will take the
opportunity to tell us what you think about the curriculum by filling out the
feedback forms available on this site. We will use your comments as we make
final revisions to the document, which will be presented to the State Board of
Education for approval in May and implemented this fall.
With the Georgia Performance Standards driving instruction across the state,
we will be well on our way to achieving our goal: that Georgia will lead the
nation in improving student achievement.
The Georgia Performance Standards document includes four major components:
- Content Standards
Content standards state the purpose and
direction the content is to take, and are generally followed by elements that
identify specific learning goals associated with the standard.
- Suggested Tasks
Keyed to the relevant standards, these are
suggested tasks that demonstrate to teachers what students should know and be
able to do during or by the end of the course. Some tasks can serve as
activities that will help students achieve the learning goals of the standard,
while others can be used to assess student learning; many serve both purposes.
- Samples of Student Work
Examples of successful student work are
included to specify what it takes to meet the standard and to enable both
teachers and students to see what meeting the standard "looks like." You will
notice that the student work is not perfect, and it is not intended to be; it
shows the ongoing process of learning, and indicates the meeting of standards.
- Teacher Commentary
Teacher commentary is meant to open the
pathways of communication between students and the classroom teacher. Showing
students why they did or did not meet a standard enables them to take ownership
of their own learning.
The new Georgia Performance Standards are meant
to raise the level of expectation for ALL students in Georgia. The change in
curriculum goals and expectations will change the ways teachers approach their
content. With this change, it is important to understand the professional
responsibility of the classroom teacher to differentiate instruction in order to
meet the unique needs of their students.
Again, the Curriculum and Instruction staff thank you for your support and
input in this process.
See Also
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(404) 463-1280
(404) 657-5183 
