Wednesday, March 24, 2004
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Wednesday, March 24, 2004 |
| Fayette schools are included in Cox’s challenge to lift SAT scores By J. FRANK LYNCH It’s no surprise that Fayette County Schools rank among the top 30 systems statewide included in Superintendent Kathy Cox’s “Super SAT Challenge,” especially considering it’s Fayette County’s approach to the college entrance exam that Cox wants other districts to embrace. According to the state Department of Education, 72 percent of Georgia students taking the SAT attend just 30 of the state’s 181 school systems. Based on that fact, if each of the 30 systems raised its average SAT scores by 1.5 percent (13-16 points), the state average could jump 10 whole points, Cox estimates. Cox has challenged the top 30 school systems (as ranked by SAT participation) to rise to the occasion by 2005. The Department of Education, in partnership with the Georgia Leadership Institute for School Improvement, the College Board, and IBM, is will bring together representatives of each system every six weeks to take part in training sessions. They will learn strategies for raising student achievement and test scores that can be implemented in each district. They will also have the opportunity to share best practices with one to create sustained progress, not a one-time boost. The College Board assists with offering professional learning to school systems concerning PSAT data analysis and the changes to the 2005 SAT. IBM is sharing its “Change Toolkit,” which helps leaders think systematically about change and create and organize the steps and strategies to bring it about. Although only 30 systems were invited in the Superintendent’s Super SAT Challenge, the same training is available to all other Georgia school systems through the state’s RESA system. “We hope that this innovative way of looking at student achievement will serve as a model that can be replicated in other parts of the state,” said Cox, a Peachtree City resident. “When Georgia educators work together to tackle major issues, the results are always amazing.” In addition to Fayette, the school systems invited to take part in the “Super SAT Challenge” are Walton, Effingham, Troup, Liberty, Bartow, Camden, Glynn, Dougherty, Clarke, Paulding, Coweta, Hall, Rockdale, Bibb, Douglas, Forsyth, Richmond, Chatham, Houston, Columbia, Cherokee, Henry, Muscogee, Clayton, DeKalb, Fulton, Cobb, and Gwinnett counties, and Atlanta city schools. The group’s first meeting was a full-day training session that took place on Feb. 25. The next meeting will be held in April.
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