The state will adopt new elementary and middle school language arts curriculums in 2009-10, and the school systems in Richmond and Columbia counties are getting prepared.
The school systems have selected committee members to review classroom materials that will support the new curriculums.
"All we're doing this year is looking at materials, and they would be implemented next year," said Lauren Williams, the Columbia County school system associate superintendent of student learning.
She said elementary and middle school committees, which include teachers, administrators and parents from county schools, will look for materials that align with the Georgia Performance Standards, a more rigorous curriculum that is being phased. This curriculum requires pupils to apply concepts and higher-order thinking skills rather than recall memorized facts.
"One thing we're really looking at is meeting students where they are," Dr. Williams said, whether they are gifted or struggling.
The learning resources that are under review are on display at the Richmond County Board of Education building, 864 Broad St., Augusta.
"The books are set up for any teachers, principals and parents who want to come by, and it's going to be there through the end of the month," said Louis Svehla, the Richmond County school system public information director.
Michele Sherman, the Columbia County director of elementary student learning, said committee members have reviewed the materials that are on display in Richmond County. She said they want to adopt new materials that focus on reading, writing and grammar.
She also said the committees, which will undergo six days of training to enable them to select materials, will look at test data analyses to measure the school system's needs and to determine how the textbooks can help the system achieve its goals.
She said adopting materials that will improve Criterion-Referenced Competency Test scores and help the school system meet federal standards, or adequate yearly progress, is one of the school system's objectives.
The state reviews learning resources for particular subjects and recommends a list of materials in six-year cycles.
Reach Betsy Gilliland at (706) 868-1222, ext. 113, or betsy.gilliland@augustachronicle.com.
Comments
Come on! The classes aren't changing. It's just time for new language arts textbooks. New resources. It happens every year for different subject areas. This is NOT news, other than the textbook manufactures make a fortune from the school systems. The best teachers don't teach exclusively by the textbook these days. They pull novels, research, web resources, periodicals, and other resources to meet the GPS standards.
They need to bring in speech therapists. I hear ax instead of ask..kilt for killed...boycock for boycott... wit for with...hu for you...and many more. All of this is unacceptable. No wonder illiteracy is a problem in Richmond county. It is ridiculous to spend a dime on new reading material before they correct this wide spread speech disorder.
Once again teachers are not aware that materials are at the board for viewing. The names of the programs need to be printed in the paper so people can go online and do some research. Questions such as....will consumables be given to us each year, will the reading tests be provided, will there be materials for high-middle-low readers, what states are currently using these programs, what are the political ties to these programs, are there writing and children's literature components,how is spelling addressed, will Dibels still be used, do these programs support AR, how is comprehension taught, ETC. I certainly hope that the group who finally chooses has fully researched each and every program out there and does so with integrity, something that has always been in short supply in Richmond County.
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