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Published Thursday, June 05, 2008 in Local

Cox: Preparation key to improving scores

By Amanda Zechiel

The Times-Herald

Georgia State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox visited the West Georgia Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA) in Grantville on Wednesday when she passed through the area to attend the University of West Georgia's Learning Festival.

RESA teams strive to provide a wide range of services and support to area school systems, including programming focused on professional development, assessment and certification aimed at promoting student achievement. West Georgia RESA supports Carroll County, the city of Carrollton, Coweta County, Harris County, Heard County, Meriwether County, and Troup County school districts.

Cox attempts to visit all Georgia RESA locations occasionally to maintain a sense of their goals and progress.

"Our real charge here at RESA is to support schools and student achievement," explained Rachel Spates, Georgia Learning Resources System (GLRS) Director. "Each RESA operates differently, and we want to use this opportunity to talk about what's working for us."

Wednesday's visit provided Cox with an opportunity to discuss current issues in the Georgia education system with superintendents from nearby school districts. She was given a tour of the RESA building, located in the Brown School Building in Grantville.

Cox also had opportunities to speak briefly to professional learning classes that were in session at the time, offering words of encouragement to groups focusing on topics such as Health and Wellness and Special Education.

Cox remained extremely positive about the direction of Georgia schools, even with the frustrating results of the recent Criterion-Referenced Curriculum Test administered across the state.

"I am convinced, by how hard I know our students and teachers have worked, that our students are only lacking a small piece of the puzzle," Cox explained. "With patience and targeted help, our students will improve."

Cox hopes that Georgians can begin to view the state's standardized testing policy as a "safety net" for students entering high school rather than something intended to hold them back.

"If we don't better prepare our students in middle school in reading and math, they will hit the wall in high school," she said.

Cox says that she believes in the capabilities of Georgia students and educators, and she believes that these tests are necessary to conquering a more rigorous curriculum. However, she is not ignoring the shortcomings that the tests may have.

"We saw that the social studies test was out of wack. We've never had dips in scores like that before, and we will deal with that by changing both curriculum and the test," she noted. "But that's only two out of 52 tests given a year. The math test is right on."

Cox explained that algebra and geometry have been pushed back from high school to sixth, seventh and eighth grades. She noted that the first time these middle-schoolers were tested in these subjects, their scores rivaled the scores achieved in high school classrooms, indicating great potential for success.

"Students will be able to go even further with greater success in high school math if they can master these areas earlier," said Cox. "I'm confident that on the next test we'll do even better, especially as teachers retrain for these math concentrations."

Cox knows that the CRCT scores need to improve, but she believes it's a goal that Georgia schools can achieve.

"I'm not satisfied with these scores, but they're in line with the reality of a challenging curriculum. I am not content, but there is nothing wrong with the testing policy," she said.

Cox discussed the summer school options that are available for students, noting their flexibility to fit with summer plans. She described the virtual classroom created for eighth- graders, for which many students have already signed up.

"We know plans have already been made for summer, but online material helps if kids have conflicts. They are still able to work and improve on their own schedule this way," she explained.

Cox looks forward to seeing improved scores in the near future and is sure that the schools and students have the ability and resources to achieve them.

"At the end of the day, I am confident that our systems will do right by our kids. This is about a conversation -- that's the heart and soul of this law. After the test, if there are questions about a student's success, we will know to have that conversation now rather than in high school, when it is too late. That is what I hope parents will see."

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