Dr. John Barge - Georgia State School Superintendent

With education law waived, ‘focus is no longer on the test’ – Atlanta Journal-Constitution

@dyecasting — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 16:05:15 +0000

Georgia and nine other states last week were released from requirements of No Child Left Behind, a landmark federal education law some say created a national testing craze by requiring students meet increasing academic goals year after year.

States were granted waivers by the Obama administration in response to Congress’ failure to update the law since 2007, when it came up for renewal. Now, student test scores won’t be as pivotal to how schools are rated, Georgia schools will no longer pass or fail based on “adequate yearly progress,” and the state will not have to meet the mandate that all students test on grade level in math and reading by 2014.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution talked with Georgia’s top education official, Superintendent John Barge, about the state’s plans for monitoring and measuring school success.

‘Fat Boy Chronicles’ inspires teen to tackle weight – Atlanta Journal-Constitution

@dyecasting — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:08:25 +0000

Most days, Brandon Steiper felt like he was living the teenage life of Jimmy Winterpock, the main character in the book, “The Fat Boy Chronicles.”

Piggy. Fat boy. You cause an earthquake every time you walk.

They weren’t only pages in a book. They were Brandon’s daily life.

Brandon, like Jimmy Winterpock, was heavy and taunted relentlessly at school.

Just 13, Brandon weighed 346 pounds — at least 200 pounds more than the typical weight of a boy his age.

“I’m done!” Brandon yelled to his parents after returning home from a family vacation where kids on the beach giggled, pointed and called him a “whale.”

He was done with being obese.

He had just read “Chronicles” for a second time, and the book’s inspiring story of losing weight clicked — just like it had for Jimmy Winterpock.

Motivated by Jimmy’s transformation, Brandon, now 14, started exercising, eating right and little by little, losing weight.

Georgia to receive waiver from No Child Left Behind – Atlanta Journal-Constitution

@dyecasting — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:07:14 +0000

Georgia is expected today to be released from requirements of a landmark federal education law that some say put too much pressure on students and teachers and contributed to test cheating in Atlanta and other places.

The White House is set to announce today that Georgia and nine other states — Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oklahoma and Tennessee — will be granted waivers from the Bush era No Child Left Behind Act.

The only state that applied for the flexibility and did not get it, New Mexico, is said to working with the administration to get approval.

A total of 28 other states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have signaled that they, too, may seek waivers — a sign of just how vast the law’s burdens have become as a big deadline nears.

Not In Georgia: Combating Human Sex Trafficking 2012 Poster Contest for Grades 9-12

@dyecasting — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:23:16 +0000

Students in grades nine through twelve are invited to submit their work for a statewide poster contest to promote a national hotline for reporting and preventing Human Sex Trafficking.

It is estimated that 5,000 girls a year are victims of sex trafficking in Georgia. Because of its international airport and sprawling landscape, Atlanta is the center for this atrocity. We cannot stand by and allow sex trafficking to continue. Therefore, we have worked with a number of state and non-governmental organization partners to host seminars that are designed to help Georgia educators and social services workers recognize key indicators of possible human sex trafficking activities, as well as sex trafficking victims.

We also want to equip students with resources to help call attention to those that may be victims. A poster contest has been developed to promote the national hotline where individuals can report any suspicion of sex trafficking in their school or community.

The primary focus of the posters should be the national hotline, presented in a creative way that would grab the attention of students and teachers. The national hotline phone number is 1-888-373-7888.

Submissions will be judged by a panel of state officials representing multiple areas of expertise. There will be two winners from each of our 16 Regional Education Service Agencies (RESAs) areas – one for an English poster and one for a Spanish poster (can’t be a duplicate poster translated). The winning posters from each region will be printed and sent to the respective RESA for distribution to the schools in that area.

The regional winners will receive a cash prize in each of the following categories – 1st place wins $100, 2nd place wins $50, and 3rd place wins $25. The regional winners will be notified by May 1, 2012.

Additionally, the winning posters in each region will be prominently displayed in schools within their respective region. The 1st place winning posters will be judged at the end of the year to determine one state winner for the English poster and one state winner for the Spanish poster. The state winners will be announced in December 2012. State winners will receive $250 (taxpayer funds are not used for any prizes).

More Information and Details Attached

MEDIA CONTACT
Matt Cardoza, GaDOE Communications Office§
(404) 651-7358
mcardoza@gadoe.org

GA Expecting Word of No Child Left Behind Waiver – FOX31

@dyecasting — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:03:55 +0000

A decade after the implementation of the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law, Georgia schools Superintendent John Barge and other state school superintendents are pushing to have it waived.

Barge expects to hear whether the state has received the waiver by the end of the month.

Back in 2002, the No Child Left Behind act was introduced into U.S. schools. It was the start of Criterion Reference Competency Tests (CRCT) which aimed to promote and monitor success among students.

Educators say when put into practice, the program helped improve schools.

Teachers as ‘life-changers’ – Effingham Herald

@dyecasting — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:14:48 +0000

State School Superintendent John Barge knows what teachers can do, given the opportunity. “A teacher turned my life around,” he said in a recent telephone conversation. Monty Fountain, a teacher and a coach at Alexander High School in Douglas County, became a father-figure and set him on his career path.

“Given the impact that Coach Fountain had on me, I knew education was what I wanted to do,” he said. “Education was for me and can be for others a way out of poverty. With an education, you can do better with your life.” The superintendent has even established a Monty Fountain Award given four times a year to a teacher who has had a tremendous impact on the lives of others.

You can go to the DOE Web site for details.

I had called Dr. Barge initially to see if he could answer a simple question no one else seems willing or able to answer: Who is in charge of public education in Georgia? Is it the federal government? State government? Local school boards?

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Georgia 7th in Nation for Education Quality – FOX31

@dyecasting — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:15:51 +0000

Georgia’s education system is receiving national recognition for its achievements.

The state ranks seventh in the nation for overall education quality.

According to the annual “Quality Counts” report released by Education Week, Georgia received a B- for its commitment to improve educational policies and practices.

Thursday Georgia State School Superintendant Dr. John Barge named 824 Title I Distinguished Schools and four Title I Distinguished Districts.

All schools and districts selected have made AYP for at least three consecutive years.

When it comes to southwest Georgia, Lillie Cooper Primary School in Terrell County has made the grade for 13 years in a row.

The principal says it takes a joint effort from parents and educators in order to make the achievement possible.

Georgia’s Ranks 7th in the Nation in New Education Report

@dyecasting — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:04:24 +0000

Georgia ranks 7th in the nation for overall education quality, according to an Education Week report released today. The annual “Quality Counts” report is an investigation of key education outcomes that provides ranks and grades for each state based on their commitment to improve educational policies and practices. This year’s report gave Georgia a grade of B-. Last year, Georgia ranked 8th among all states.

“We are very pleased with the overall marks that Education Week gave Georgia for its commitment to education,” said State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge. “While there is still plenty of work to do to improve education in Georgia, it’s good to see others recognizing some of the improvements that are happening in our state through the extraordinary work of our students, teachers, and leaders.”

Highlights from the Education Week Report

Areas of Continual Strengths

Ranking 6th and earning a letter grade of B+, Georgia remains a national example of best practices in the area of Transition and Alignment (which addresses the articulations between early childhood education, K-12 education, and postsecondary institutions). Additionally, Georgia remained in the top 10 of all states for the second straight year in the development of a rigorous and appropriate accountability system for teachers, along with providing teachers with incentives for certification and performance and enhancing building-level capacity and support. Finally, Georgia received an A- for our Standards, Assessment, and Accountability policies and programs. Georgia is only one of ten states to have alignment between standards and assessment in the area of Social Studies and is a national leader in portfolio assessments for students.

Areas of Growth

Using the metrics within the “Quality Counts” survey, Georgia saw tremendous growth in a number of student achievement indicators during the 2010-2011 year. In particular, Georgia experienced the 4th largest reduction in the 8th Grade Poverty Gap Closure in mathematics. Additionally, Georgia had the 6th largest scale score gains on the NAEP assessment for 4th grade Reading. Finally, Georgia ranked 4th in the Change in AP Scores category which examines the change in high scores per 100 students between 2000 and 2010. Georgia also ranked 9th in the scores of 3 or higher for each 100 students on the AP tests, cementing Georgia’s reputation as a national leader in AP testing and AP achievement.

Interesting Findings

Despite the high ranking, Georgia ranks 24th in the overall School Finance Analysis and 38th in the adjustment per-pupil expenditures. This illustrates that while Georgia may not rank highly in the amount it spends per child, our education leaders and teachers are doing an extremely effective job at content delivery and ensuring students have the tools to succeed.

“This report demonstrates that improving education for Georgia’s students is more than evaluating a single test score,” said Superintendent Barge. “We will continue to focus on raising the quality of education so our students are ultimately prepared for college and careers.”

Quality Counts Report 2012

Georgia’s Ranks 7th in the Nation in New Education Report – WSAV

@dyecasting — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:12:25 +0000

According to an Education Week report released today, Georgia ranks 7th in the nation for overall education quality. This year’s report gave Georgia a grade of B-. ast year, Georgia ranked 8th among all states. The annual “Quality Counts” report is an investigation of key education outcomes that provides ranks and grades for each state based on theircommitment to improve educational policies and practices.

State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge says hepleased with the overall marks. “While there is still plenty of work to do to improve education in Georgia,” Barge says, “it’s good to see others recognizing some of the improvements that are happening in our state through the extraordinary work of our students, teachers, and leaders.”

Waiver Request from No Child Left Behind Pleases Local Leaders – Cherokee Tribune

@dyecasting — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 13:47:46 +0000

While State Superintendent John Barge awaits an answer regarding Georgia’s petition for a waiver from provisions of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, Cherokee County School District officials weighed in with their support.

In September, U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-east Cobb) and Barge personally delivered the state’s waiver request and an alternative accountability plan, known as the College and Career Ready Performance Index, to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

At the 2011 annual conference of the Georgia School Boards Association and Georgia School Superintendents Association, Barge said he expects to know by the end of December whether Duncan will grant the state the requested waiver, including a waiver for the Adequate Yearly Progress requirement.

The state department has been working on CCRPI for the past 18 months.

“We are thankful the state has taken this opportunity,” said Ken Owen, CCSD director of school improvement, adding that Superintendent Dr. Frank Petruzielo and the school board have said for 10 years that NCLB has had many issues.

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