Curriculum and Instruction

News

Middle School Parent and Student Guide to Mathematics
This support booklet has been written for middle school parents and students. Contents include a brief explanation of the new math curriculum, ways to study mathematics, math vocabulary, important dates, and parent resources on the Internet.

CRCT Study Guides Available
Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) Study Guides now available for teachers and families to help prepare students in grades one through eight for the 2009 CRCT. These study guides provide an overview of the purpose of the test, preparation tips, and practice quizzes.
CRCT online practice

Changes to Grades 9-12 Math Courses
School year 2008-2009 is the first year of implementation of the new Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) math curriculum at Marietta High School.

Georgia's New Curriculum: No. 5 in the Nation
Fordham Institute gives Georgia a B+, "most improved"

The state's new curriculum, the Georgia Performance Standards, is the fifth-best state curriculum in the nation according to a 2006 report released by The Thomas B. Fordham Institute. The report on all state curricula entitled "The State of State Standards" gave Georgia's curriculum an overall grade of B+, up from a C- in 2000, the last time a review was done. Georgia's overall ranking jumped 16 points from 2000 and was among the most improved.

About the Georgia Performance Standards

The Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) are a curriculum document. They are being rolled out in phases over several years. In 2005-2006, teachers statewide used the new standards in English (all grades), Science (grades 6 and 7, 9-12) and Math (grade 6). This school year, they will begin to use the new standards in Math (grades K-2, 7) and Science (grades 3-5).

• Fordham Institute "State of State Standards" report
• State rankings
• Information on Georgia's new curriculum
• Subject-specific reviews of the Georgia Performance Standards

Performance Standard: Performance standards identify what students should know, understand, and be able to do. They provide clear performance expectations for assessment, instruction, and student work. With the implementation of the new Georgia Performance Standards (GPS), Marietta City Schools will now administer GPS benchmark tests that directly correlate to the new standards.

The GPS includes elements, sample student work, suggested tasks, and teacher commentary.

• Elements: Parts of the content standard that identify specific learning goals associated with the standard. They are the specific parts of a content standard that should be learned by all students in a specific grade or course.
• Tasks: Provide a sample performance that demonstrates to teachers what students should know and be able to do by the end of the course.
• Student Work: Student work samples are included in the GPS to specify what it takes to meet the standard and to enable both teachers and students to see what meeting the standard “looks like”.
• Teacher Commentary: Enables students to see why they did or did not meet the standard and enables them to take ownership in their learning.

What is Standards-Based Education?

• The focus is on student learning
• Expectations are the same for all students
• Standards are expressed through essential questions and supporting skills and knowledge
• Assessments are used to guide and modify instruction
• The effectiveness of instruction is judged on whether or not students meet the standard