GCOVE interchange [Vol. 3, no. 1 (Mar. 1996)]

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Volume 3 Number 1 Page 1-March, 1996

Repqrt Cards on Education

How do Georgia. 's 1, 800 public schools compare usmg statistics, such as test scores? The continued call for public accountability regarding education has heightened and, as a result, report cards have been issued by two state-funded entities. The Georgia Department of Education (DOE) and the Council for School Performance both issued report cards this past February to discern the status of education in Georgia.
This is the Department of Education's first statewide report card.
INSIDE
+ Block Grants- p. 5 + Cable Programming- p.3 + Council Members -- p. 3 + Georgia Partnership -- p. 4 + Survey Results -- p. 6-7

Published by the Georgia Council on Vocational Education
254 Washington Street S.W. Atlanta, Georgia 30334-8501
(404) 656-7782 fax (404) 656-7938

It includ. es data such as test scores, expenditures per child, number of children receiving free or reduced lunch, certificate levels of teachers, and student/teacher ratios. The data is organized into four categories: (1) student data, (2) test results, (3) fiscal data, and (4) personnel and accreditation information. Several organizations and agencies provided data for the 1994-95 report card: the Board of Regents, the Department of Technical and Adult Education, the
College Board, the Educational Testing Service, the Georgia Student Finance Commission, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, -and the Georgia School Superintendents Association.
The Council on School Performance also created its first report card on education in Georgia. For the Council's report card, two types of indicators were designated: school and community. Under these two indicators, six categories were formed: (1) school readiness, (2) school completion, (3) academic preparation, (4) teacher education and professional development, (5) academic excellence in mathematics and science, and (6) adult literacy and citizenship. The Council used data from the Department of Children and Youth Services, Department of Human Resources, Georgia Bureau of Investigations, Board of Regents, Georgia Secretary of State and the U.S. Department of

Health and Human services.
The Council for School Performance was created in 1993 by the Georgia General Assembly, at the request of the Governor, to provide information for school improvement and aceountability. The Council is an independent entity that works to provide an objective analysis of educational performance data and to serve as an independent source of information on education.
The Department of Education issued report cards for both individual schools and school systems. It also developed a state report card (part of which is reproduced below) that summarizes student data, standardized test results, fiscal data, and personnel and accreditation information. This particular report card gives the reader a snapshot of the state's progress in education as a whole. All of the report cards (state, school systems and schools) may be obtained on one CDROM. In this format, it is possible to rank and compare the state's public schools on various statistics, such as test scores or the percentage of vocational education diplomas. Although DOE listed the dropout rate of each school and system on its report card, these variables could not be ranked and compared by using the CD-ROM. Though the DOE ranked schools and school systems on many criteria, no overall grade or rating See Report Cards p. 2

Report Cards

1994-95 Georgia Public Education Report Card



continued from p. 1

State Student Data

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system is given, which is implied Retained Students, by Race/Ethnicity and Sex

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American Multi-

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by using the term, "report card." Further, DOE did not group like schools in clusters, but ranked all

Total Enrollment

Total Black White Hispanic Asian Indian racial Male Female 1,261,137 470,177 740,826 23,607 19,634 1,480 5,413 647,139 613,998

f

the schools and systems state-

Students Retained

37.3% 58.7%

1.9%

1.6%

0.1%

0.4% 51.3% 48.7%

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48,561 25,636 21,121

1,176

428

45

155 30,590 17,971

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wide. Therefore, large and small

52.8% 43.5%

2.4%

0.9%

0.1%

0.3% 63.0% 37.0%

systems are compared with each

other.

Graduates by Credentials, Race/Ethnicity and Sex

)

The Council on School

American Multi-

Performance's report card rates

Total Black White Hispanic Asian Indian racial Male Female

school systems using one to five Diplomas with College

26,401 6,577 18,506

348

829

32

109 11,748 14,653

stars. For example, five stars

Prep Endorsements

24.9% 70.1%

1.3%

3.1%

0.1%

0.4% 44.5% 55.5%

means the system is in the top

Diplomas with Voc.

12,498 4,423 7,195

99

41

10

10 6,213 6,285

20% of similar school systems

Endorsements

35.4% 63.3%

0.8%

0.3%

0.1%

0.1% 49.7% 50.3%

and one star means the system is Diplomas with Both Col.

5,672 1,470 4,082

52

60

5

3

1,829

3,843

in the lowest 20% of similar

& Voc. Endorsements

25.9% 72.0%

0.9%

1.1%

0.1%

0.1% 32.2% 67.8%

school systems. This report is

Special Education

1,438

772

653

9

2

0

2

918.

520

designed to provide information

Diplomas

53.7% 45.4%

0.6%

0.1%

0.0% 10.0% 63.8% 36.2%

on a school system at both the community and school levels, as well as allow for comparisons with similar schools and school systems throughout the state. School systems are divided into nine clusters based on size,

High School Diplomas
Total All Diplomas
Certificates of Performance
Total Graduates

12,149 58,158
1,744 59,902

5,559 45.8% 18,801 32.3% 1,164 66.7% 19,965 33.3%

6,225 51.2% 37,381 64.3%
421 24.1% 37,802 63.1%

177 1.5%
685 1.2%
53 3.0%
738 1.2%

131 1.1% 1,063 1.8%
98 5.6% 1,161 1.9%

11 0.1%
58 0.1%
2 0.1%
60. 0.1%

46 0.4%
170 0.3%
6 0.3%
176 0.3%

6,903 56.8% 27,611 47.5%
888 50.9% 28,499 47.6%

5,246 43.2% 30,547 52.5%
856 49.1% 31,403 52.4%

students eligible for free or

*Excerpt from Georgia Denartment of Education State Reoort Card

reduced lunch, and rate of growth.

At the pi;esent time, the Council Council's report card is designed to be used by the schools and the communities they serve as benchmarks. Overall, <:')

has only released system-level the goal of both entities is to provide information in an easily accessible manner which can lead to better school report cards. In April, the Council improvement. The Council's report cards are intended to be used in conjunction with the Department of Education's

(i
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will issue report cards to every school in the state.

report cards. If you are interested in seeing copies of these reports, the Department of Education's CD-ROM can be purchased

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Both report cards provide data for $5.00 or the hard copy report for $125.00 by calling (404) 657-9800. System report cards completed by the

(i

with which schools and communi- Council on School Performance can be purchased for $25.00 while supplies last by calling (404) 651-3523. The

ties can measure performance and Council's report cards can also be seen at local school board offices, regional libraries, and local chambers of com-

determine accountability. The

merce.

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GCOVE INTERCHANGE

Spotlighting Our Council Members

As required by the federal Perkins Act, the Georgia Council on Vocational

Education (GCOVE) is comprised of thirteen members. Five individuals

represent business, industry, trade organizations, and agriculture and two

represent labor organizations. Six individuals represent secondary and

postsecondary vocational institutions, including individuals who have special

knowledge with respect to special populations (including women, the disadvan-

taged, the disabled, minorities, and individuals with limited English profi-

ciency); special education, and career guidance and counseling organizations.

This issue of our newsletter spotlights four of our members.

Gus Arrendale

Irving Mitchell

has served on the

has served on the

Council for one

Council for eleven

year. He is Vice

years and is our

President and

longest serving

Director of

Council member.

Marketing for

Mr. Mitchell is

Fieldale Farms, Inc. and represents employed by the Georgia Housing and

the business sector on the Council. Finance Authority as the Director of

Mr. Arrendale is the past president of Housing and Community Improve-

the Georgia Poultry Processors

ment. He currently serves on the

Association, past president of the

Board of Directors of the DeKalb/

Georgia Market Advisory Board, and Fulton Housing Counseling Center,

past director of the Georgia Poultry and among his many other accom-

Federation. Mr. Arrendale lives in

plishments, has served as Chair of the

Gainesville.

Georgia Legislative Black Caucus

Advisory Board and sat on the Na-

tional Conference of Black Mayors

Amanda Hyatt is the past chair of GCOVE and has served on the Council for four.

Economic Development Task Force for five years. He is married to Brenda Mitchell and they have two children, Cobie and Faida. He and his family live in East Point.

years. She is President of Seven Oaks Enterprises and represents small businesses on the Council. Some of her accomplishments include serving on the Board of the Carroll Technical Institute and its Satellite Center in Douglas County, initiating the Leadership Douglas County Program, serving on the State Steering Committee for School to Work and having served as chair of the Council for Competitive Georgia. She is married to Wayne Hyatt and they live in Winston.

Steve Simpson has served on the Council for six years. He is employed by the Georgia AFL-CIO as State Director for the Voter Identification Program and represents labor organizations on the Council. Mr. Simpson is the Trustee of the Carpenter's Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee and holds a degree in accounting. He is married to Claudia Ann Simpson and they have two children, Benjamin

and Rachel. They live in Oakwood.

Page 3-- March, 1996
Cable Company Donates Service
Does your school need assistance in accessing cable programming? One of the country's largest cable companies recently announced that it will help 10,000 remote schools access cable programming by donating minisatellite dishes and equipment.
Primestar Goes to School, sponsored by Denver's Telecommunications Inc. (TCI), will provide schools with all digital direct broadcast satellite television service. Schools will receive small receiving dishes, equipment for decoding scrambled programming, and installation and maintenance services -- a $2,000 value.
Primestar designed the program to provide education programming and data services, as well as to offer training to inner city, rural and other schools that do not have access to cable. Schools must be within Primestar's territory -- which covers about half the United States -- and be in an area without cable wiring. Much of Georgia is within Primestar's territory. To find out about your particular area call (800) 254-3801.
Contact: LaRae Marsik, Corporate Media Relations Specialist, TC/ Communications, PO. Box 5630, Denver, CO 80217-5630, (303) 2675277; fax, (303) 488-3218.
The Georgia Council on Vocational Education
would be glad to make a presentation of our recent studies to your group. Call the GCOVE office for more information (404) 656-7782.

Page 4-- March, 1996

GCOVE INTERCHANGE

The Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education

Lives Up to Its Name

Test scores are up in every school system where the Next Generation School Project grant funds were directed to classroom instruction. So says a recent independent study conducted by the University of Georgia. In addition to applying funds directly to classroom instruction, school systems could also choose to apply grant funds to technology or professional development. Carvin Brown, the lead researcher for the study, says, "When the funds are used to support instruction indirectly, it may take a little longer to see results in the classroom."
A second independent study shows similar findings. According to a performance evaluation of the Georgia Department of Education based on Malcolm Baldridge criteria, the student failure rate in Next Generation Schools has been cut in half. The study was conducted by Total Quality Learning Systems.
The Next Generation School Project is based on the belief that the best way to incorporate methods of change across the state is to foster them first at the local level. The Project requires schools to adopt nine criteria that incorporate the key principles of learning. It also encourages communities to decide which methods work best for them to make change and improvement happen quickly and effectively.
The nine criteria form the basis for school improvement. Each of the criteria is -derived from research and literature involving successful or promising practices and from a year-long process involving over 300 business, governmental, and educational leaders in Georgia. The nine criteria are:
1. Establish a community collaborative
2. Emphasize world class performance
3. Personalize instruction and emphasize continu ous progress
4. Emphasize vocational skills
5. Reorganize the learning environment
6. Use telecommunications and computing technology as tools

8. Adopt the quality philosophy
9. Provide continuous staff development
The nine criteria used in the Next Generation Schools also embodies the vision for vocational education that was developed from the input of over 1,000 educators, employers, and students in a year-long, grassroots project conducted by the Georgia Council on Vocational Education (GCOVE). (Sec. i.i1e GCOVE publication, Creating a Vision for Education in the 21st Century. Central to the model that evolved from this project is the idea that Georgia's schools rriust reflect the competencies of tomorrow's workplace. GCOVE continues to assert that this can only be accomplished by establishing more and better linkages with the business community and the community-at-large, restructuring education so that it routinely incorporates a real world context for learning, increasing the rigor of the curriculum, and raising expectations for all students' performance.
"The success of the Next Generation Schools is particularly important to us" says GCOVE Chair John Varner, "because it takes GCOVE's Vision project to the next level: implementation." The Georgia Council on Vocational Education is an advisory board and does not implement programs.
The Next Generation School Project is exceptional in that the grant money is raised through a coalition of businesses, with the State providing some matching funds. Virtually every dollar in the Next Generation School Project goes to the school systems that win these competitive innovation grants. The only exception has been to hire outside, independent evaluators at the University of Georgia and Florida State University. The administration of the project has been paid by corporate supporters and through foundation grants to the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education. According to Roy Richards, chair of the Partnership, "Our vision is to assist schools and communities in dramatically, psitively transforming their educational systems to prepare students for the 21st century. And we have! Now that there are sites implementing the nine criteria, we are evaluating the success of the Project and learning from the results."

7. Attend to at-risk children and youth and their families

GCOVE INTERCHANGE
Congress Proposes Measures
At a minimum, both the House CAREERS bill and the Senate Workforce Development bill would require each state to measure its progress towards state-defined goals for youth and adults using measures which include:
+ placement and retention in
unsubsidized work;
+ increased earnings;
+ attainment of challenging
state academic standards;
+ student mastery of occupa-
tional and industry recognized skills;
high school diplomas, GEDs, (or in certain cases, certificates of completion);
placement in, retention in, and completion of secondary education and postsecondary education;
+ placement and retention in
employment and military service; and the
+ progress of welfare recipi-
ents, individuals with dis abilities, older workers, atrisk youth, and dislocated workers, as relates to assist ing citizens in obtaining meaningful employment and education.
Although the House and Senate agree for the most part on what types of measures the states should use to assess workforce development, there are some differences. In addition to the above types of measures, the House CAREERS bill would also require states to measure progress in regard to:

Page 5-- March, 1996
Block Grants & Benchmarks:
Your Opinion Counts!
Increasingly, taxpayers are demanding more accountability from state and federal programs. Schools are being encouraged to set tougher academic standards for all students. Workfare instead of welfare is becoming the norm.
Key legislation currently before Congress calls for increased State accountability in workforce development programs. The CAREERS bill (H.R. 1617) and the Workforce Development bill (S. 143) would consolidate over 100 vocational education and training programs, including programs under the Perkins Act, the Job Training Partnership Act, and the Adult Education Act by July 1, 1998. A Congressional conference committee is to meet within the next few months to resolve differences between the two bills. However, both bills require that states establish performance standards, called "benchmarks." The proposed legislation requires states to measure progress on state-defined goals using the benchmarks which they establish.
What Is Your Opinion?
If the workforce development legislation is passed by Congress during the next few months, what information should Georgia use to establish workforce development goals and benchmarks? Should a small town in Georgia have the same goals or benchmarks as Atlanta? What is "meaningful" employment? How can Georgia provide meaningful employment for all people in Georgia who want to work? Are the minimum measures required by the legislation enough? Are they the right types of measures?
The proposed legislation raises several difficult questions that our Governor and State Legislators must answer if a federal workforce development act is passed. However, even if the federal legislation does not pass, our state officials may wish to increase state accountablility by using similar measures. Your opinion counts when you fill out the opinionnaire. Your answers will be compliled and shared with key state officials.

+ school drop-out rates;
+ registered apprenticeships;
and
+ additional core indicators for
adult employment and training programs, adult education and family literacy programs, and for programs established under the Rehabilitation Act.
In addition to the types of measures that both the House and

the Senate agree on, the Senate Workforce Development bill would also require states to develop measures to access progress towards increasing mastery of:
+ work readiness skills; and
+ literacy, knowledge, and skills
deemed necessary for adults to be productive and responsible citizens and to be actively involved in their children's education.



7~ ~ ~ - ! Page 6~- March, 1996

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GCOVE INTERCHANGE

Question: Vocational education programs in Georgia accurately reflect business and industry demands.

Responses: 10% Strongly Agree 06% Strongly Disagree 03% No Opinion

56% Agree

25% Disagree

Question:

The education community is receptive to input from the private sector for improving the

delivery of vocational education.

Responses: 33% Strongly Agree 01 % Strongly Disagree 03% No Opinion

50% Agree

13% Disagree

Question:

Local advisory committees involving representatives from business, industry, labor and the

general public are involved in educational planning in mv community.

Responses: 32% Strongly Agree 03% Strongly Disagree 01 % No Answer

43% Agree

17% Disagree

05% No Opinion

Question:

Vocational education program offerings would be strengthened if administered by the

Department of Labor.

Responses: 01 % Strongly Agree 53% Strongly Disagree 14% No Opinion

08% Agree

25% Disagree

Question:

The collaboration and coordination between the providers of short term training for drop-outs

and adults (PICs and SDAs) and the providers of voe .ional-technical education is

satisfactory.

Responses: 01 % Strongly Agree 13% Strongly Disagree 01 % No Answer

28% Agree

32% Disagree

25% No Opinion

Question:

Secondary vocational education programs should he exploratory in nature as opposed to

providing specific skill de\'.klopment.

Responses: 06% Strongly Agree 37% Strongly Disagree 01 % No Answer

18% Agree

37% Disagree

01 % No Opinion

Question:

Vocational education programs should be offered primarily at the technical/college level

rather than at the secondary school level.

Responses: 03% Stroagly Agree 61 % Strongly Disagree 01 % No Answer

08% Agree

26% Disagree

02% No Opinion

-~uestion:

Collaboration and coordination between secondary and postsecondary vocational education

providers is satisfactory.

Responses: 05% Strongly Agree 12% Strongly Disagree 05% No Opinion

41 % Agree

38% Disagree

Question:

Vocational students should be expected to meet the same academic standards as college prep

students.

Responses: 15% Strongly Agree 09% Strongly Disagree 01 % No Answer

37% Agree

37% Disagree

01 % No Opinion

Question:

Students should be required to declare a broad occupational cluster in the 9th grade just as

college prep students are required to declare a course of study for college in the 9th grade.

Responses: 22% Strongly Agree 09% Strongly Disagree 01 % No Answer

46% Agree

21 % Disagree

GCOVEINTERCHANGE

Page 7-- March, 1996
Opinionnaire Results

We appreciate the positive response to the opinionnaire published in our December newsletter. Results appear on the facing page. The results appear on the facing page. We received a total of 147 surveys. Forty-five of these surveys included voluntary written comments. These comments tended to fall into the ten categories listed in the box below. In general, the comments indicate that vocational-technical education has a crucial role to play in meeting the needs of Georgia's multi-talented student body. Some of the specific suggestions made by respondents included:

upgrade youth apprenticeship programs
examine the possibility of offering just one
high school diploma to prevent "classing" of students
raise performance standards for vocational
education
work to change the perception of voca-
tional education among vocational educators
promote strong vocational education at the
secondary school level to prevent dropouts
encourage collaboration of secondary and
post-secondary programs so as not to duplicate costs and services
continue support of the Tech Prep/ School-
to-Work movement.
Respondents Employed By:

Categories of Comments
Importance of Career Education in High School Standards
Tech Prep/Apprenticeship
One diploma system Need for better articulation between high
schools and technical schools
Restructure/Reorganize vocational education Business involvement Exploratory vs. specific vocational education
courses
Integration of vocational education and aca
demi cs
More than high school education is necessary

Respondents Geographical Breakdown

South Georgia
36%

North Georgia
39%

Middle Georgia
25%

April 1 -18, 1996
Georgia Educational Technology Conference Georgia Department of Education Macon Centreplex Convention Center Macon, Georgia Jane Spencer (770) 786-8044
April 28-30, 1996
The Workplace Leaming Conference Center on Education and Work, University of Wisconsin Hyatt Regency Milwaukee Milwaukee, Wisconsin 800-466-0399
May 1-3, 1996
The Role ofAssessment in a Leaming Organization Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Seattle, Washington (206) 583-0300
Georgia Council on Vocational Education
254 Washington St. SW Atlanta, GA 30334-8501

May 2-3, 1996
Alternative Ways to Document and Communicate Student Leaming Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Seattle, Washington (206) 583-0300

May 14, 1996
Georgia Council on Vocational Education Monthly Meeting Atlanta, Georgia Brian Shoemaker (404) 656-7782



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