The council will meet three times through the school year to advise Ms. Cox on how state policies are working in classes, according to a news release. No other Augusta area student was named to the council.

"The Student Advisory Council is an invaluable resource to me and the leadership of the Georgia Department of Education," Ms. Cox said in the release. "It gives me a tremendous insight into how state policies and procedures are working in the classroom and it allows me to communicate directly with students in schools throughout Georgia."

The council's 53 students were selected out of more than 550 who applied from 108 districts. Those chosen were selected based on essay answers.

The council's first meeting will be Nov. 9 at the Georgia Institute of Technology.