July Friday Email Blast. Table of Contents



Similar documents
Georgia Milestones Assessment System Preplanning July 2014 DRAFT

Muscogee County School District Senior High School Summer Credit Recovery Program 2011 General Information

Providing Options and Opportunities

Math Science Partnership (MSP) Program: Title II, Part B

DALTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS PARENT INVOLVEMENT POLICY

APPROVED - CAMBRIAN COLLEGE ACADEMIC SCHEDULE September August 2016

General Guidance for State Board of Education Rule WAIVERS AND VARIANCES OF HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION ASSESSMENTS

Gainesville High School Options and Opportunities College Credit Now Dual Enrollment

Welcome to the North Carolina Virtual Public School Getting Started module. This module will take you through what online is, how to be successful in

After Degree Year 2 Information for Early, Early/Middle, and Middle Years Students for September, 2015

After Degree Year 2 Information for Senior Years Stream Students for September, 2016

a. Services for Academic Success (SAS)

Superintendents and Charter School Administrators. Melissa K. Ambre, Director, Office of School Finance Kathryn Roth, Program Manager

MASTERS PROGRAM INTERNSHIP HANDBOOK

Gordon County Schools Parental Involvement Policy

Comprehensive Leadership Development Program. Human Resources - Learning & Development

Mission Possible. Graduation and Beyond!

America Reads*America Counts Site Supervisor Handbook

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATION OPTIONS

General College Counseling Timelines

Academic Calendars. Term I (20081) Term II (20082) Term III (20083) Weekend College. International Student Admission Deadlines

Proportionate Share Process - Parentally Placed Private School Students with Disabilities When FAPE is Not an Issue

Professional Education Unit

Guide to Hosting an On-Campus Internship. On-Campus Academic Internships at St. John's

How To Use Gold Online

Superintendent s Report SY Year End Summary. Dr. Valya S. Lee. Superintendent of Schools

Online Course Proposal Form Form 1

Academic Calendar for Faculty

GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Introduction and Overview Formative Instructional Practices Professional Learning.

Louisiana Special Education Guidance

Hinds Community College Calendar

BAINBRIDGE HIGH SCHOOL RUNNING START

Bulletin 140 Guidance Performance Profile Rating

Gwinnett Teacher Effectiveness System. Frequently Asked Questions. General Questions

Middleton High School Summer School 2015

CREDENTIAL PROGRAM: MULTIPLE SUBJECT. Student Handbook

Middle College Program HANDBOOK

Promotion Process for External Candidates

Master of Education: Educational Psychology with an emphasis in Educational Psychology Online Completion

Specialist in Education (EdS) Degree in Middle School Education

University of Delaware School of Education Masters of Arts in Teaching

Philadelphia Center Information

All students are admitted during the summer and begin their coursework in the fall. Students must commit to completing these courses in sequence.

Student Success Collaborative at Indiana University

UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. Department of Community Health Sciences

PEABODY COLLEGE ACADEMIC CALENDAR

Dear Parents, We wish your student much success here at Bergen Community College and trust this information is helpful. Sincerely,

Phillips Academy Summer Session & (MS) 2 Elwin Sykes Teaching Assistant Program

Georgia Department of Education Title I 2016 Schoolwide Plan. School Name: Taliaferro County School

Field Placement Handbook

California Community Colleges Admission & Transfer Policy

AWARDING UNITS OF CREDIT AND ACCEPTANCE OF TRANSFER CREDIT AND/OR GRADES.

Hinds Community College Calendar

The Virtual Alternative High School Information

The Vision. The School District of Philadelphia Dr. Arlene C. Ackerman, Superintendent

HIGH SCHOOL FAQ. Last edit date 2 June 2014 ATTENDANCE/PACING

State Assessments 2015: MCAS or PARCC? William H. Lupini Superintendent of Schools Thursday, May 22, 2014

How To Pass A Gw.A.S.A

Schuylkill Haven Area High School ***All sessions will be held at the Schuylkill Haven High School***

Delivered in an Online Format. Revised November 1, I. Perspectives

Holidays Faculty Deadlines Financial Aid Fall 2014: Classes Begin: August 25, 2014 August 25 - December 13, 2014

School Summer Programs Georgia/Alabama

Community Service GRADUATION REQUIREMENT

Ready from Day One : A Model for Success Initiative

How To Become A Teacher In Texas

Creating Successful Early Learning and All-Day Kindergarten Programs. Minnesota Department of Education Office of Early Learning

Assessment Schedule

CTAE NEWSLETTER January 2008

Remedial Education Program (REP) Grades School Year

Duke University School of Medicine - M.D. Program Academic Calendar

Tuesday, October 7 at 5:30 pm in the Oak Room (MOSL 103; located in Moseley, the space used for admission s presentations).

John Hersey High School College/Career Center Junior Parent Newsletter

Maryland Program for Excellence in Leadership (MPEL)

Oak Park School District. Counselor Evaluation Program

THE SCHOOL BOARD OF ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA TEACHER PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL SYSTEM, TABLE OF CONTENTS

Transcription:

July Friday Email Blast Table of Contents Friday, June 4, 2014... 2 Friday, July 11, 2014... 3 Friday, July 18, 2014... 8 Friday, July 25, 2014... 12 1

Friday, July 4, 2014 No Friday Email Blast today! 2

Good Afternoon Directors! 3 Friday, July 11, 2014 Hope your summer is going well I feel it is zooming by. Hard to believe it is already July. I hope you had some time to enjoy the holiday and that you are having some time to recharge this summer. We are working to prepare for the upcoming year and planning for partnerships with districts as we move forward with Results Driven Accountability. Have a good weekend! Debbie Special Education Enrollment Data: Special Education enrollment data is now available from the Data Collections website. The new report is located in the Report section, the same location as other publicly reported enrollment data. You may select one district or all districts. You may also download this report. Nsize suppression for student counts <10. Continuation of Services: The deadline for reporting continuation of services will be August 29, 2014. Directions for completing the Continuation of Services Verification Report are included in this Blast. The application will be open for data collection July 18, 2014. If your district reported incidences of failure to provide FAPE for cumulative disciplinary exclusions of greater than ten school days in the FY14 Student Record Student Safety collection, you must complete the Continuation of Services Verification Report no later than August 29, 2014. Corrections may not be made to the Student Record as the district has already verified by the superintendent s signature that the Student Record data are accurate. If your district reported no incidences of failure to provide FAPE for cumulative disciplinary exclusions of greater than ten school days in the FY14 Student Record Student Safety collection, the Continuation of Services Verification Report will state, No students from your district require additional documentation for continuation of services. This statement serves as the verification of continuation of services for your district. No additional response is required. 2014-2015 Special Education Leadership Development Academy (SELDA) for New Special Education Directors: Register NOW! Go to this link to register: SELDA 2014-15 Registration Registration for all 6 SELDA meetings for NEW special education administrators is FREE. See the two attachments above. We would like to invite you to attend the 2014-2015 Special Education Leadership Development Academy (SELDA). This academy is a collaboration between the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) and Georgia Council of Administrators of Special Education (G-CASE). The purpose of SELDA is to prepare new special education directors through a series of meetings and forums. We are committed to offering the support you need to understand and provide general supervision that monitors the implementation of the IDEA.

Participation in SELDA is limited to special education directors within their first 2 years of service and/or the assistant to the special education director. We will limit the academy to 50 participants, therefore we will accept New special education directors first, next directors within their first 2 years of service, and finally assistants to the special education director. Data Collections Conference: We will be providing an optional schedule for special education directors to follow which highlights those sessions most relevant to your work. August 27-29, 2014 Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA) Fall 2014 Training: The Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA) will continue in its current form during 2014-2015. The one new aspect for the 2014-2015 administration of the GAA program will be that, given the CCGPS transition in high school mathematics, identified standards from Coordinate Algebra and Analytic Geometry will be assessed beginning next year for all students assessed for the first time in high school through the GAA. Data Collections Conference at The Classic Center Athens, Georgia Pre-assessment training will be provided online, via Blackboard Collaborate. A variety of topics will be addressed during eight broadcasts held on four dates. Each webinar will last approximately an hour and thirty minutes and will allow time for questions and answers. The topics selected were identified based upon an analysis of 2013-2014 GAA results, the transition of mathematics standards in the high school, the high school retest option, and feedback from school and system personnel. New this year will be live sessions to address questions from the online audience. Please refer to the table below for a list of topics, dates and times. More detailed information regarding the content of each session and links to the live presentations and their subsequent recordings are available in the document attached to this email and at this link: GAA Fall 2014 Training The fact that each session will be available through both a live delivery and a recording (that can be viewed at any time) will allow systems to schedule the viewing of each session as local schedules may require. Dates Sessions and Times Topics Registration ends by August 8, 2014 http://dcconference.gadoe.org/pages/home.aspx Wednesday 8/13/2014 Thursday 8/14/2014 Thursday 8/21/2014 Session 1 Session 2 Session 3 Session 4 Session 5 Session 6 2:30-3:45 High School Retest The Basics of the GAA Looking ahead to the 2014-15 Administration Alignment Overview of High School Mathematics in 2014-15 - Part 1 Overview of High School Mathematics in 2014-15 - Part 2 4

Wednesday 8/27/2014 Session 7 Session 8 Question & Answers Session Covering items from Sessions 1-4 Question & Answers Session for HS Math Covering items from Sessions 5-6 If you have questions regarding this training, please do not hesitate to contact Deborah Houston via email dhouston@doe.k12.ga.us or phone 404-657-0251. Updated 2014-2015 State Testing Calendar Posted to GaDOE Website: An updated 2014 2015 State Testing Calendar has been posted to the Georgia Department of Education s website at the Assessment Division s webpage for Educators. You will note that this calendar has the following features: The updated 2014-2015 calendar now incorporates the name and several dates relative to Georgia s new assessment system, Georgia Milestones. Importantly, note that the actual testing window dates for the Georgia Milestones end of grade assessment in grades 3-8 and the end of course assessment administrations remain consistent with the dates previously posted for our former programs, the CRCT and EOCT. As we continue in our planning for Georgia Milestones, you should anticipate additional updates to the 2014-2015 calendar regarding various logistical and planning activities such as webinars, enrollment count windows, shipment dates, etc. As a result, we will likely post calendar updates over the course of the 2014-2015 school year. The current End of Course Tests (EOCT) remain on the testing calendar during the months of August November 2014 for the final administrations of the EOCT Mid-Month and Retests. Please note that these Mid-Month Administrations will be administered through CTB s online assessment system (details forthcoming over the next several weeks) while the Retest Administration will be delivered through PearsonAccess as in the past. On a related note, Georgia Milestones will incorporate Mid-Month and Retest End of Course administrations beginning in January 2015. Please note that the CRCT-M is no longer on the calendar due to the discontinuance of the program at the conclusion of the current summer retest administration. The Grade 3, Grade 5, and Grade 8 Writing Assessments have been removed from the 2014-2015 calendar given that writing will now be assessed in each grade (3-8) through Georgia Milestones. The Georgia High School Writing Test (GHSWT) remains a diploma requirement in 2014-2015 and remains on the calendar as a result. As in the past, the GHSWT will be administered to all grade 11 students during the annual Main Administration in late September 2014. Note that the summer retest administration of the GHSWT has moved to mid- June (June 17) beginning in summer 2015. The Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT) continues to have its fall retest, winter retest, and spring retest windows in 2014-2015. However, there will not be a summer retest administration for the GHSGT in 2015. Summer (July) 2014 is the final summer GHSGT retest administration. Again, please anticipate future updates for 2014-2015 as we continue to plan for Georgia Milestones along with, eventually, the initial posting of the 2015-2016 calendar. 5

Ga Parent Mentor Partnership FY 15: All returning districts who applied as well as three NEW districts were accepted to the FY15 Ga Parent Mentor Partnership. If you are a new district or a district who is hiring a new mentor, please forward the name of the new mentor and his or her contact information to Anne Ladd aladd@doe.k12.ga.us. Attached for your reference is a sample job description and possible interview questions. Be on the lookout for the 2014 Annual Kickoff Conference Registration. Sailing the 7 C s GaPMP Annual Kickoff Conference September 10 12, 2014 The Classic Center Athens, Georgia This is a required event for all parent mentors and their director or direct supervisor. Welcome Aboard! Rookie Mentor Orientation August 20 21, 2014 Lake Blackshear Conference Center and Resort Cordele, Georgia This is a required training for all new mentors (anyone who came on board since last August.) Director or direct supervisors are encouraged to attend. All Hands on Deck GaPMP Leadership Council Retreat August 20 21, 2014 Lake Blackshear Conference Center and Resort Cordele, Georgia This is the annual planning session for the GaPMP Leadership Council including an executive board, regional reps, committee chairs and advisors. This is time is used for professional development, strategic planning and Annual Kickoff Conference planning. If you have any questions, please contact Anne Ladd, Family Engagement Specialist, aladd@doe.k12.ga.us. College and Career Readiness Performance Index Students with Disabilities Requiring an Alternate Assessment: The College and Career Readiness Performance Index Accountability Team determined that based on the reporting process, special education case managers will ensure that all students with disabilities who also require an alternate assessment (GAA) have completed two careerrelated assessments. These two career-related assessments can also be used as transition assessments on a student with disabilities transition plan. Special Education case managers will maintain the documentation to ensure compliance when asked. (See attached Special Ed Guidance Summer for more information) End of the Year Deadlines: July 31, 2014 Preschool Exit Data ( FY14 Data) Stand Alone application in the portal APR Indicator 7 Post Secondary Outcomes ( 12-13 exiters) Stand Alone application in the portal APR Indicator 14 Timelines (FY14) Stand Alone application in the portal APR Indicators 11 and 12 6

August 29, 2014 Continuation of Services Stand Alone Application in the Portal Attachment titles that were included with the July 11 Email Blast. 7

Directors, Friday, July 18, 2014 I hope your week is going well. I know some of you are very busy preparing for that first day of school. I have heard that some districts are actually starting the end of July. See information to share at the teacher resource link on the GaDOE s Data Collection webpage. Have a great weekend, Debbie Student Growth Model: The Georgia Student Growth Model (GSGM) is an exciting new initiative designed to provide students, parents, educators, and the public with additional information on student progress. It provides teachers a new view of the progress students are making. It is critically important that all educators have a good understanding of GSGM. Please take the time to view the video on the website at the link at the Georgia Student Growth Model webpage as it provides an excellent explanation. Special Education Enrollment Data: Special Education enrollment data is now available from the Data Collections website. The new report is located in the Report section, the same location as other publicly reported enrollment data. You may select one district or all districts. You may also download this report. Nsize suppression for student counts <10. Continuation of Services: The deadline for reporting continuation of services will be August 29, 2014. Directions for completing the Continuation of Services Verification Report are included in this Blast. The application will be open for data collection July 18, 2014. If your district reported incidences of failure to provide FAPE for cumulative disciplinary exclusions of greater than ten school days in the FY14 Student Record Student Safety collection, you must complete the Continuation of Services Verification Report no later than August 29, 2014. Corrections may not be made to the Student Record as the district has already verified by the superintendent s signature that the Student Record data are accurate. If your district reported no incidences of failure to provide FAPE for cumulative disciplinary exclusions of greater than ten school days in the FY14 Student Record Student Safety collection, the Continuation of Services Verification Report will state, No students from your district require additional documentation for continuation of services. This statement serves as the verification of continuation of services for your district. No additional response is required. 2014-2015 Special Education Leadership Development Academy (SELDA) for New Special Education Directors: Register NOW! Go to this link to register: SELDA 2014-15 Registration Registration for all 6 SELDA meetings for NEW special education administrators is FREE. See the two attachments above. 8

We would like to invite you to attend the 2014-2015 Special Education Leadership Development Academy (SELDA). This academy is a collaboration between the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) and Georgia Council of Administrators of Special Education (G-CASE). The purpose of SELDA is to prepare new special education directors through a series of meetings and forums. We are committed to offering the support you need to understand and provide general supervision that monitors the implementation of the IDEA. Participation in SELDA is limited to special education directors within their first 2 years of service and/or the assistant to the special education director. We will limit the academy to 50 participants, therefore we will accept New special education directors first, next directors within their first 2 years of service, and finally assistants to the special education director. Data Collections Conference: We will be providing an optional schedule for special education directors to follow which highlights those sessions most relevant to your work. August 27-29, 2014 Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA) Fall 2014 Training: The Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA) will continue in its current form during 2014-2015. The one new aspect for the 2014-2015 administration of the GAA program will be that, given the CCGPS transition in high school mathematics, identified standards from Coordinate Algebra and Analytic Geometry will be assessed beginning next year for all students assessed for the first time in high school through the GAA. Dates Wednesday 8/13/2014 Thursday 8/14/2014 Data Collections Conference at The Classic Center Athens, Georgia Pre-assessment training will be provided online, via Blackboard Collaborate. A variety of topics will be addressed during eight broadcasts held on four dates. Each webinar will last approximately an hour and thirty minutes and will allow time for questions and answers. The topics selected were identified based upon an analysis of 2013-2014 GAA results, the transition of mathematics standards in the high school, the high school retest option, and feedback from school and system personnel. New this year will be live sessions to address questions from the online audience. Please refer to the table below for a list of topics, dates and times. More detailed information regarding the content of each session and links to the live presentations and their subsequent recordings are available in the document attached to this email and at this link: GAA Fall 2014 Training The fact that each session will be available through both a live delivery and a recording (that can be viewed at any time) will allow systems to schedule the viewing of each session as local schedules may require. Sessions and Times Session 1 Session 2 Session 3 Session 4 Topics High School Retest The Basics of the GAA Looking ahead to the 2014-15 Administration Alignment 9 Registration ends by August 8, 2014 http://dcconference.gadoe.org/pages/home.aspx

Thursday 8/21/2014 Wednesday 8/27/2014 Session 5 Session 6 2:30-3:45 Session 7 Session 8 Overview of High School Mathematics in 2014-15 - Part 1 Overview of High School Mathematics in 2014-15 - Part 2 Question & Answers Session Covering items from Sessions 1-4 Question & Answers Session for HS Math Covering items from Sessions 5-6 If you have questions regarding this training, please do not hesitate to contact Deborah Houston via email dhouston@doe.k12.ga.us or phone 404-657-0251. Updated 2014-2015 State Testing Calendar Posted to GaDOE Website: An updated 2014 2015 State Testing Calendar has been posted to the Georgia Department of Education s website at the Assessment Division s webpage for Educators. You will note that this calendar has the following features: The updated 2014-2015 calendar now incorporates the name and several dates relative to Georgia s new assessment system, Georgia Milestones. Importantly, note that the actual testing window dates for the Georgia Milestones end of grade assessment in grades 3-8 and the end of course assessment administrations remain consistent with the dates previously posted for our former programs, the CRCT and EOCT. As we continue in our planning for Georgia Milestones, you should anticipate additional updates to the 2014-2015 calendar regarding various logistical and planning activities such as webinars, enrollment count windows, shipment dates, etc. As a result, we will likely post calendar updates over the course of the 2014-2015 school year. The current End of Course Tests (EOCT) remain on the testing calendar during the months of August November 2014 for the final administrations of the EOCT Mid-Month and Retests. Please note that these Mid-Month Administrations will be administered through CTB s online assessment system (details forthcoming over the next several weeks) while the Retest Administration will be delivered through PearsonAccess as in the past. On a related note, Georgia Milestones will incorporate Mid-Month and Retest End of Course administrations beginning in January 2015. Please note that the CRCT-M is no longer on the calendar due to the discontinuance of the program at the conclusion of the current summer retest administration. The Grade 3, Grade 5, and Grade 8 Writing Assessments have been removed from the 2014-2015 calendar given that writing will now be assessed in each grade (3-8) through Georgia Milestones. The Georgia High School Writing Test (GHSWT) remains a diploma requirement in 2014-2015 and remains on the calendar as a result. As in the past, the GHSWT will be administered to all grade 11 students during the annual Main Administration in late September 2014. Note that the summer retest administration of the GHSWT has moved to mid- June (June 17) beginning in summer 2015. The Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT) continues to have its fall retest, winter retest, and spring retest windows in 2014-2015. However, there will not be a summer retest administration for the GHSGT in 2015. Summer (July) 2014 is the final summer GHSGT retest administration. 10

Again, please anticipate future updates for 2014-2015 as we continue to plan for Georgia Milestones along with, eventually, the initial posting of the 2015-2016 calendar. Ga Parent Mentor Partnership: Welcome Aboard! Rookie Mentor Orientation August 20 21, 2014 Lake Blackshear Conference Center and Resort Cordele, Georgia This is a required training for all new mentors (anyone who came on board since last August.) Director or direct supervisors are encouraged to attend. Registration Now Open Welcome Aboard! New Parent Mentor Training Be on the lookout for the 2014 Annual Kickoff Conference Registration: Sailing the 7 C s GaPMP Annual Kickoff Conference September 10 12, 2014 The Classic Center Athens, Georgia This is a required event for all parent mentors and their director or direct supervisor. All Hands on Deck GaPMP Leadership Council Retreat August 20 21, 2014 Lake Blackshear Conference Center and Resort Cordele, Georgia This is the annual planning session for the GaPMP Leadership Council including an executive board, regional reps, committee chairs and advisors. This is time is used for professional development, strategic planning and Annual Kickoff Conference planning. If you have any questions, please contact Anne Ladd, Family Engagement Specialist, aladd@doe.k12.ga.us. End of the Year Deadlines: July 31, 2014 Preschool Exit Data ( FY14 Data) Stand Alone application in the portal APR Indicator 7 Post Secondary Outcomes ( 12-13 exiters) Stand Alone application in the portal APR Indicator 14 Timelines (FY14) Stand Alone application in the portal APR Indicators 11 and 12 August 29, 2014 Continuation of Services Stand Alone Application in the Portal Attachment titles that were included with the July 18 Email Blast. 11

Directors, Have a wonderful and safe weekend! Friday, July 25, 2014 2014-2015 GaDOE Georgia Early Learning Developmental Standards (GELDS) Training: As a part of the Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge Grant (RTT-ELC), GaDOE will provide training to all Special Education Preschool Teachers on the GELDS. The training is being provided by Georgia State University/Best Practices Division and is the same training that GA PreK teachers received during the 2013-2014 school year. The training will be provided in (9) locations around the state (see attached). Registration will open next week, so please get your teachers registered as soon as possible. Attendees will receive (6) hours toward a PLU. All special education preschool teachers are strongly encouraged to take advantage of this training opportunity. Below is a description of the training, Journey through the GELDS. Journey through the GELDS is a 6 hour training designed to give preschool teachers an introduction to the revised Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards. It will give an overview of how the GELDS are organized, as well as the terminology and coding used for lesson planning. The training will go in depth in the domains of Approaches to Play and Learning and Cognitive Processes. ***DISTRICTS WILL BE NOTIFIED NEXT WEEK WHEN REGISTRATION IS OPEN*** QUESTIONS??? Contact Jan Stevenson at jstevenson@doe.k12.ga.us OR 404-657-9965. Teacher Resource Link: See information to share at the Teacher Resource Link. Student Growth Model: The Georgia Student Growth Model (GSGM) is an exciting new initiative designed to provide students, parents, educators, and the public with additional information on student progress. It provides teachers a new view of the progress students are making. It is critically important that all educators have a good understanding of GSGM. Please take the time to view the video on the website at the link at the Georgia Student Growth Model webpage as it provides an excellent explanation. Special Education Enrollment Data: Special Education enrollment data is now available from the Data Collections website. The new report is located in the Report section, the same location as other publicly reported enrollment data. You may select one district or all districts. You may also download this report. Nsize suppression for student counts <10. 12

Continuation of Services: The deadline for reporting continuation of services will be August 29, 2014. Directions for completing the Continuation of Services Verification Report are included in this Blast. The application will be open for data collection July 18, 2014. If your district reported incidences of failure to provide FAPE for cumulative disciplinary exclusions of greater than ten school days in the FY14 Student Record Student Safety collection, you must complete the Continuation of Services Verification Report no later than August 29, 2014. Corrections may not be made to the Student Record as the district has already verified by the superintendent s signature that the Student Record data are accurate. If your district reported no incidences of failure to provide FAPE for cumulative disciplinary exclusions of greater than ten school days in the FY14 Student Record Student Safety collection, the Continuation of Services Verification Report will state, No students from your district require additional documentation for continuation of services. This statement serves as the verification of continuation of services for your district. No additional response is required. 2014-2015 Special Education Leadership Development Academy (SELDA) for New Special Education Directors: Register NOW! Go to this link to register: SELDA 2014-15 Registration Registration for all 6 SELDA meetings for NEW special education administrators is FREE. See the two attachments above. We would like to invite you to attend the 2014-2015 Special Education Leadership Development Academy (SELDA). This academy is a collaboration between the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) and Georgia Council of Administrators of Special Education (G-CASE). The purpose of SELDA is to prepare new special education directors through a series of meetings and forums. We are committed to offering the support you need to understand and provide general supervision that monitors the implementation of the IDEA. Participation in SELDA is limited to special education directors within their first 2 years of service and/or the assistant to the special education director. We will limit the academy to 50 participants, therefore we will accept New special education directors first, next directors within their first 2 years of service, and finally assistants to the special education director. Data Collections Conference: We will be providing an optional schedule for special education directors to follow which highlights those sessions most relevant to your work. August 27-29, 2014 Data Collections Conference at The Classic Center Athens, Georgia Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA) Fall 2014 Training: Registration ends by August 8, 2014 http://dcconference.gadoe.org/pages/home.aspx The Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA) will continue in its current form during 2014-2015. The one new aspect for the 2014-2015 administration of the GAA program will be that, given the CCGPS transition in high school mathematics, identified standards from 13

Coordinate Algebra and Analytic Geometry will be assessed beginning next year for all students assessed for the first time in high school through the GAA. Pre-assessment training will be provided online, via Blackboard Collaborate. A variety of topics will be addressed during eight broadcasts held on four dates. Each webinar will last approximately an hour and thirty minutes and will allow time for questions and answers. The topics selected were identified based upon an analysis of 2013-2014 GAA results, the transition of mathematics standards in the high school, the high school retest option, and feedback from school and system personnel. New this year will be live sessions to address questions from the online audience. Please refer to the table below for a list of topics, dates and times. More detailed information regarding the content of each session and links to the live presentations and their subsequent recordings are available in the document attached to this email and at this link: GAA Fall 2014 Training The fact that each session will be available through both a live delivery and a recording (that can be viewed at any time) will allow systems to schedule the viewing of each session as local schedules may require. Dates Sessions and Times Topics Wednesday 8/13/2014 Thursday 8/14/2014 Thursday 8/21/2014 Wednesday 8/27/2014 Session 1 Session 2 Session 3 Session 4 Session 5 Session 6 2:30-3:45 Session 7 Session 8 High School Retest The Basics of the GAA Looking ahead to the 2014-15 Administration Alignment Overview of High School Mathematics in 2014-15 - Part 1 Overview of High School Mathematics in 2014-15 - Part 2 Question & Answers Session Covering items from Sessions 1-4 Question & Answers Session for HS Math Covering items from Sessions 5-6 If you have questions regarding this training, please do not hesitate to contact Deborah Houston via email dhouston@doe.k12.ga.us or phone 404-657-0251. Updated 2014-2015 State Testing Calendar Posted to GaDOE Website: An updated 2014 2015 State Testing Calendar has been posted to the Georgia Department of Education s website at the Assessment Division s webpage for Educators. You will note that this calendar has the following features: The updated 2014-2015 calendar now incorporates the name and several dates relative to Georgia s new assessment system, Georgia Milestones. Importantly, note that the actual testing window dates for the Georgia Milestones end of grade assessment in grades 3-8 and the end of course assessment administrations remain consistent with the dates previously posted for our former programs, the CRCT and EOCT. 14

As we continue in our planning for Georgia Milestones, you should anticipate additional updates to the 2014-2015 calendar regarding various logistical and planning activities such as webinars, enrollment count windows, shipment dates, etc. As a result, we will likely post calendar updates over the course of the 2014-2015 school year. The current End of Course Tests (EOCT) remain on the testing calendar during the months of August November 2014 for the final administrations of the EOCT Mid-Month and Retests. Please note that these Mid-Month Administrations will be administered through CTB s online assessment system (details forthcoming over the next several weeks) while the Retest Administration will be delivered through PearsonAccess as in the past. On a related note, Georgia Milestones will incorporate Mid-Month and Retest End of Course administrations beginning in January 2015. Please note that the CRCT-M is no longer on the calendar due to the discontinuance of the program at the conclusion of the current summer retest administration. The Grade 3, Grade 5, and Grade 8 Writing Assessments have been removed from the 2014-2015 calendar given that writing will now be assessed in each grade (3-8) through Georgia Milestones. The Georgia High School Writing Test (GHSWT) remains a diploma requirement in 2014-2015 and remains on the calendar as a result. As in the past, the GHSWT will be administered to all grade 11 students during the annual Main Administration in late September 2014. Note that the summer retest administration of the GHSWT has moved to mid- June (June 17) beginning in summer 2015. The Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT) continues to have its fall retest, winter retest, and spring retest windows in 2014-2015. However, there will not be a summer retest administration for the GHSGT in 2015. Summer (July) 2014 is the final summer GHSGT retest administration. Again, please anticipate future updates for 2014-2015 as we continue to plan for Georgia Milestones along with, eventually, the initial posting of the 2015-2016 calendar. Ga Parent Mentor Partnership: Welcome Aboard! Rookie Mentor Orientation August 20 21, 2014 Lake Blackshear Conference Center and Resort Cordele, Georgia This is a required training for all new mentors (anyone who came on board since last August.) Director or direct supervisors are encouraged to attend. Registration Now Open Welcome Aboard! New Parent Mentor Training Be on the lookout for the 2014 Annual Kickoff Conference Registration: Sailing the 7 C s GaPMP Annual Kickoff Conference September 10 12, 2014 The Classic Center Athens, Georgia 15

This is a required event for all parent mentors and their director or direct supervisor. All Hands on Deck GaPMP Leadership Council Retreat August 20 21, 2014 Lake Blackshear Conference Center and Resort Cordele, Georgia This is the annual planning session for the GaPMP Leadership Council including an executive board, regional reps, committee chairs and advisors. This is time is used for professional development, strategic planning and Annual Kickoff Conference planning. If you have any questions, please contact Anne Ladd, Family Engagement Specialist, aladd@doe.k12.ga.us. End of the Year Deadlines: July 31, 2014 Preschool Exit Data ( FY14 Data) Stand Alone application in the portal APR Indicator 7 Post Secondary Outcomes ( 12-13 exiters) Stand Alone application in the portal APR Indicator 14 Timelines (FY14) Stand Alone application in the portal APR Indicators 11 and 12 August 29, 2014 Continuation of Services Attachment titles included with the July 25 Email Blast. Stand Alone Application in the Portal 16