Common Core Georgia Performance Standards - What Does It Mean for Bulloch County (PDF Flyer)

Georgia and 46 other states and territories have joined together to develop common curriculum standards for kindergarten through twelfth grade in the areas of English language arts (ELA) and mathematics, and literacy standards for science, history/social students and technical subjects for sixth through twelfth grades.  The Georgia Department of Education (DOE) adopted these Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in July 2011. 

Georgia’s Performance Standards (GPS) are now known as the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards.  All boards of education are required to implement these standards this fall because new state assessments of school systems will be based on these CCGPS standards.   

The purpose of these new standards is to provide consistency in curriculum across states and better prepare students for college and the workplace.  According to the Georgia DOE, the CCSS will offer American students “the opportunity to meet the academic standards set by top-performing countries.” The standards are internationally benchmarked and aligned to college and work expectations.

 CCGPS demands higher rigor, relevance and depth of knowledge. CCGPS places emphasis in four major areas:  college and career readiness; increased text complexity with a focus on informational and technical texts; problem-based learning; and new student assessments.

 The following are key points about CCGPS from the presentation:

For Students

• Emphasis on informational text, not just literature/fiction - The goal is to prepare students for the kinds of reading they will need to do in their everyday lives. There will be an emphasis on integrating literature, informational texts, reading, writing, speaking, listening, spelling and grammar across all subjects.  
• Kindergarten through eighth-grade math is not very different from GPS
• Some standards are shifted to different grade levels.
• Math for ninth through twelfth grade is shifting back to discrete math from integrated.
• Only ninth grade CCGPS math will be phased in next year.
• Students will finish with the math they began, so tenth through twelfth grades will continue with integrated Math II, III, and IV.
• Ninth-grade students with take coordinate algebra.

For Teachers

• All academic teachers worked in professional learning communities (PLCs) last year to learn the CCGPS and create common curriculum maps.
• The state provided webinars on the new standards.
• The state is releasing sample units and curriculum maps to guide our work this year.
• Shelly Smith, who is a former educator and the past director of the Regional Education Service Agency (RESA), will provide six professional learning sessions throughout the year in after-school faculty meetings.