Cultivating a first class workforce by investing in quality education [Nov. 2010]

PA CIFIC

A TLA N TIC

O C E A N CULTIVATING A FIRST CLASSO CWE A NORKFORCE BY INVESTING IN QUALITY EDUCATION

With a progressive early learning program and ground-breaking HOPE scholarship for higher education, Georgia is modeling innovation -- earning the state an elite Race to the Top grant and the respect of educators and business leaders alike.

Georgia Colleges and Universities

Research Universities

Dalton State College Dalton

North Georgia College & State University Dahlonega

Regional Universities State Universities State Colleges Two-Year Colleges

Georgia Highlands College Rome

Gainesville State College Gainesville

Research Unit

Kennesaw State University

Kennesaw

Georgia Gwinnett College

Southern Polytechnic State University

Lawrenceville

Marietta Georgia Institute of Technology

Georgia Perimeter College University of Georgia

Decatur

Athens

Atlanta

Georgia State University

Atlanta Metropolitan College

Atlanta

Atlanta

University of West Georgia
Carrollnton

Clayton State University Morrow

Augusta State University Augusta

Gordon College Barnesville

Georgia College & State University
Milledgeville

Medical College of Georgia Augusta

Columbus State University Columbus

Macon State College Macon
Fort Valley University Fort Valley Middle Georgia College Cochran

Georgia Southwestern State University Americus
Darton College Albany

East Georgia College Swainsboro
Georgia Southern University Statesboro
Savannnah State University Savannah
Skidaway Institute of Oceanography Savannah
Armstrong Atlantic State University Savannah

Albany State University

Albany

Abraham Baldwin

Agricultural College

Tifton

South Georgia College Douglas
Waycross College Waycross

Coastal Georgia Community College
Brunswick

Bainbridge College Bainbridge

Valdosta State University Valdosta

Source: Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education

Georgia leads early education. "A skilled workforce comprised of confident and innovative talent is the backbone of a successful economy." Georgia has one of the most successful early childhood education programs in the nation. Education Week's Quality Counts report recently gave Georgia a perfect score of 100 for early childhood education. The state's Pre-K program has served more than one million Georgia children since its founding, offering free, high-quality curriculum to more than 76,000 4-year-olds in Pre-K programs per year.
We are focused on building K-12 education. Across the state, Georgia has developed higher academic standards and new curriculum. Results are striking: the graduation rate rose to an all-time high of 80.8 percent in 2010 an increase of two percentage points over 2009, and more than 17 percentage points since 2003. The state was one of only 15 states to show "significant progress" for eighth graders in math. Georgia minority students continue to outperform their national peers, and the state has seen a rise in ACT scores (even as the national average has dropped).
IB World Schools flourish. Fifty-eight schools in Georgia offer the International Baccalaureate program, placing the state at No. 7 in the nation.

With a nationally ranked university system, Georgia is one of only four states with two or more schools ranked among the top 25 public national universities in the 2010 edition of U.S. News and World Report's college rankings. Georgia's 68 technical colleges and universities offer optimum opportunities for students to learn from researchers conducting cutting edge research.
Georgia's first-in-the-nation HOPE scholarship program has provided full scholarships to more than one million Georgians attending state colleges, universities and technical colleges have benefited from full scholarships. The program has allowed the state to retain some of the best and brightest students for their careers. Recent cuts proposed to HOPE will retain full tuition coverage for Georgia's highest-achieving students and will cover 90% of tuition for those who maintain a "B" average or above.

ATLANTA IS A HIGHER EDUCATION LEADER
Among America's 50 largest metro areas, the Atlanta region ranks:
7th in college students enrolled
3rd in African American students
7th in degrees awarded
In the top 10 in degrees awarded across 14 academic fields
5th in university research expenditures
Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education

GEORGIA LEADS THE NATION IN IMPROVING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
In October 2010, the Gwinnett County School System received the Broad Prize for Urban Education, which honors the urban system that has the greatest overall performance and improvement in student achievement and reduction in the achievement gap.
In August 2010, the U.S. Department of Education named Georgia one of 10 recipients of a Race to the Top grant, awarding the state $400 million. The competitive grant encouraged and rewarded states for creating conditions for education innovation and reform.
Georgia is one of just three states to adopt four or more policies identified by the national College & Career Ready Policy Institute as necessary to adequately prepare students for college and 21st century jobs.
Georgia has adopted the new national Common Core State Standards for language arts and mathematics that establish clear and consistent goals for learning in grades K-12 to prepare children for success in college and work.
Passed in 2010, Senate Bill 84 is landmark legislation that will serve as a national model for local school board reform. The bill improves school board governance; clarifies roles and responsibilities of board members and superintendents; and gives the governor and State Board of Education authority to remove unethical school board members that put their systems at risk for accreditation loss.
Education Week's annual report on educational technology, Technology Counts, ranked Georgia number one in the nation for the use of technology in schools.
In 2010-2011, Georgia ranked 11th in the nation for percentage of seniors scoring a 3 or higher on Advanced Placement exams.

Pre-K programs in Georgia already served more than 1 million children.

Only four states have 2+ schools in the top 25 public U.S. universities. Georgia is one of them.

58 IB schools in Georgia.

IN GEORGIA, WE START YOUNG AND FINISH STRONG
For more information:
Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . decal.ga.gov Georgia Department of Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . doe.k12.ga.us HOPE Scholarship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . gacollege411.org University System of Georgia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . usg.edu Technical College System of Georgia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . tscg.edu
03/2011

Georgia Department of Economic Development I 75 Fifth Street, NW, Suite 1200, Atlanta, GA, 30308 I 404.962.4034 I georgia.org