GaDOE Recognized for School Improvement, Workforce Development, and Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education Efforts

The Georgia Department of Education has been recognized with the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB)’s 2023 State Leadership Award, which recognized the agency for creating professional learning experiences for educators and implementing college- and career-readiness strategies.

SREB commended GaDOE’s efforts in the areas of school improvement and Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education, including efforts to:

1. Create virtual professional learning communities for school leaders to discuss common challenges and share improvement strategies, in collaboration with SREB
2. Develop an online mentoring course for educators who serve as mentors for new teachers
3. Create a profile of a CTAE graduate to guide professional learning and instructional practices for Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education teachers

 “Georgia has made great strides in providing educators with high quality professional learning that is engaging, job-embedded and ongoing,” said Dale Winkler, SREB Vice President for School Improvement. “Together, these initiatives to build the capacity of educators to solve common problems and implement powerful instructional strategies contribute to higher levels of student achievement.”

SREB’s State Leadership Award recognizes states that have established continuous improvement structures and processes to help schools transform school and classroom practices, establish and sustain change, and increase student achievement.

“It is a foundational focus for us at the Georgia Department of Education to provide clear and usable supports for districts and schools that ultimately benefit students, and to remain focused on providing an education that prepares students for careers and life,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “I wish to thank the Southern Regional Education Board for recognizing these efforts, along with Dr. Stephanie Johnson and Dr. Barbara Wall who oversee our school improvement and Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education teams at the Department. Finally, I want to express my appreciation to the CTAE educators and organizations who participated in the Profile of a CTAE Graduate work and the district leaders, school leaders, and educators who have put great time and effort into the school improvement process. Their work has been instrumental in improving student achievement throughout the state.”

About School and District Improvement in Georgia

The Georgia Department of Education’s Office of School and District Improvement works directly with underperforming schools to help them improve the educational outcomes of their students. SDI also works to provide foundational supports, professional learning, and targeted technical assistance for every school, with the vision that all schools and districts along with the state Department of Education should continuously improve for the benefit of all students. This year, SDI helped 92 schools make the improvements necessary to exit federal identification status.

About Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education in Georgia

GaDOE’s Office of Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education works to deliver a K-12 education that prepares students for their lives after high school. Students can learn skills for real-world careers in more than 100 Career Pathways while earning recognized industry credentials and participating in hands-on learning opportunities. Georgia’s CTAE Pathway completers continually record a graduation rate above 97%.