State Georgia

EdGate Curriculum Matrix
GEORGIA Standards
July 2005

These standards display for each grade level in Language Arts, Science, Mathematics and Social Studies. 

There are 3 levels: Level 1: Content Standard; Level 2: Performance Objective Level 3: Grade Level Example

Subject by Subject  Data for Georgia

The QBE Act calls upon the Department of Education to revise and update the QCC periodically to keep pace with rising expectations for high school graduates. In 1995, under this mandate of continuing improvement, Governor Zell Miller and State Superintendent of Schools Linda Schrenko appointed a work group called the "Georgia School Improvement Panel" to work on several aspects of school improvement, including the revision of the QCC. The result is the revision of Georgia's Quality Core Curriculum.

Who did this revision?The Georgia School Improvement Panel and its chairman, Dr. Craig Dowling, were determined to make the revision a project "of teachers and by teachers." Believing that the only place to improve education is in the classroom, the Panel was committed to stay as connected with the classroom as possible. They requested that at least half the writers be in-the-classroom teachers. The process of including classroom teachers resulted in a wide acceptance of the QCC revision and demonstrates the wisdom of this strategy. In preparation for the implementation of the revised QCC, workshops in suggested teaching strategies and curriculum alignment; interactive teleconferences; and school level grade/department planning were conducted.

How was it accomplished?

• The panel members began in 1995 by consulting Georgia teachers about the QCC in use across the state. Some 8000 Georgia teachers were surveyed, and over 93 percent said, "Revise it, but don't replace it." Members of the panel listened. They determined to keep what was working and improve upon it.
• Over 150 educators, parents, and business leaders were selected from over 800 nominees from across the state to serve on writing teams carefully balanced by race, gender, position, and geography.
• For each objective the writers asked: "Is this objective clear, concise?"... "Is it relevant?"... "Is it measurable?"... "What must students know and be able to do in this grade or course?"
• During the summer and fall of 1996, team members met for two weekend writing sessions. They consulted textbooks, national and state standards and curricula, as well as professional literature.
• A QCC draft went out for review to all Georgia school systems and various other organizations. It was available through Georgia public libraries and on the World Wide Web.
• The results from over 15,000 returned evaluations became the basis for a final revision.

What is included in the revisions?The revised QCC includes content standards for all subjects K-8 and 9-12 courses in English/language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, foreign languages, fine arts, health, physical education, technology/career education, agriculture, and English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).

Is the QCC now final? The revision process is ongoing. Rather than reviewing the QCC every four years, the cycle of textbook adoptions is being followed. Two years before the revision, the QCC is revised to allow time for local revisions prior to a textbook adoption. Currently, technology integration curriculum is being completed and the science QCC is being revised.

Official Website: http://www.glc.k12.ga.us/homepg.htm

State Assessments:  
The Criterion Referenced Compentency Test (CRCT) assesses student understanding of all standards for identified grade levels and content areas:

Grades 4, 6, 8—Criterion-Reference Competency Tests given in Mathematics, Reading, and English Language Arts; all other grades will be tested annually beginning in 2002. There is no test in science.

High School—Georgia High School Graduation Tests (GHSGT) required in five areas: writing, English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.

ICLE MATRIX INFORMATION:  

For the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) at grades 4, 6, and 8, the CRCT Content Descriptions for Reading, English/Language Arts, and Mathematics were used. See website reference above under test description. The standards were correlated with the Associated Standards under the various domains. The ranking of high, medium or low depends on the number of times a standard was listed as associated with the domain tested. In Language Arts, the rankings were 2+ = High, 1 = Medium, None = Low. (Reading falls under Language Arts.) In mathematics, the rankings were 1+ = High, none = Low.

For the Georgia High School Graduation Tests (GHSGT) at the high school level, the "How to Prepare for Tests" guides were used. These addressed the Quality Core Curriculum covered on the GHSGT. Content Summaries were provided in these documents. The test ranking was based on the percentage of the item on the test. For Mathematics, Strands 1 and 2, Number and computation and Data Analysis were ranked Medium and Strands 3 and 4, Measurement and Geometry and Algebra were ranked High. For Science, Strands 2 and 3, Physical Science and Biology were ranked High and Strand 1, Process/Research Skills was ranked Medium. For English Language Arts, Strands 1 and 2, Reading/Literature and Critical Thinking, were ranked High and Strand 3, Writing/Usage/Grammar was ranked Medium. 

Additional Information