The State Board of Education today approved State School Superintendent Richard Woods’ recommendation to adopt the new K-12 Mathematics Standards. The current (2020-2021) school year will be dedicated to teacher training on the new standards, with implementation to follow in future years.
The standards were revised through a citizen-led, student-focused effort first announced in 2019, led by Governor Brian Kemp, Superintendent Woods, and the Georgia Department of Education. Following this adoption of the new mathematics standards, a review of the K-12 English Language Arts (ELA) Standards will begin.
The new standards are truly Georgia-developed – they were drafted by Georgia mathematics teachers with input from educational leaders, parents, students, business and industry leaders, and community members. They are designed to provide a strong foundation beginning in the early grades and to be clear, understandable, and present a reasonable amount of content in each year – so students can truly master concepts, rather than simply being quickly exposed to them.
“To ensure every Georgian is given the opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed, Superintendent Woods, the State School Board, and I are committed to developing quality academic standards in collaboration with teachers, parents, administrators, citizens, and students,” Governor Kemp said. “I am confident the final math standards eliminate the remnants of Common Core, will provide an excellent education for our students, and are based on an unprecedented level of collaboration from across the state.”
“These new standards are Georgia-owned and Georgia-grown, clear, age- and developmentally appropriate, and remain laser-focused on the preparation students need for the future,” Superintendent Woods said. “I appreciate Governor Kemp’s leadership on this initiative and am grateful to all who participated in this process. I am confident these standards are the best step forward for Georgia education.”
On his Facebook page, Woods said, “This is the first step in eliminating the Common Core Standards within our state…Our teachers will have more time to truly instruct our students as they will cover less but more relevant content.” You can read the full post here.
Throughout the current school year, teachers will receive training and professional learning, new resources will be developed, assessments will be aligned to the updated standards, and communication will be provided to parents to ensure a smooth transition.
