DEAN’S MESSAGE

Welcome to our fi fth annual State of Education in Georgia Conference. We are pleased that you have joined us for the conference, and we look forward to sharing some important information with you on developments in education at the local, state, and national levels. This event is also designed to be a dialogue among us, and we hope to hear from you during the conference as we have opportunities for discussion and networking.

As part of a research-extensive institution and Georgia’s fl agship state university, the University of Georgia College of Education is committed to serving the state through research and innovative approaches to addressing these important issues in education. Further, we are committed to collaborating with and advancing all of the institutions of the University System of Georgia to serve all regions of the state. Today’s conference is one of our many outreach efforts to connect with Georgians and to hear what’s on your mind.

In addition, here are a few more examples of our outreach expertise at work:

• The College has expanded partnerships with school districts and other external constituents in K-12 education, including the Clarke County School District, Gwinnett County Public Schools, Barrow County School System, Greene County Schools, and the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders (GAEL).

• These partnerships produced two Race-to-the-Top grant awards. One is for a Teacher Residency Program in collaboration with the Clarke County School District, and the second one is for the Early Career Principal Residency Program in collaboration with GAEL.

• The College routinely offers professional development programs for other K-12 audiences beyond the districts with whom we have formal agreements.

• The Safe & Welcoming Schools initiative is one of our newer programs, providing research, training, and supervision related to creating school climates that embrace an environment of learning, engagement, and connection rather than one of bullying, aggression, and coercion.

We are proud to have such distinguished presenters with us today and hope the information will help inform your decisions to identify what is working. Thank you for being here today and for your concern about the state of education in Georgia. We look forward to working together on behalf of Georgia’s children.

Best Regards,

Arthur M. (Andy) Horne , Ph.D.Dean and Distinguished Research Professor

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

MARILYN COCHRAN-SMITH

John E. Cawthorne Professor of Teacher

Education for Urban Schools, Lynch

School of Education, Boston College

Marilyn Cochran-Smith is the Cawthorne Professor of Teacher Education for Urban Schools and director of the doctoral program in Curriculum and Instruction at Boston College’s Lynch School of Education. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Education, a Laureate member of Kappa Delta Pi, a past president of the American Educational Research Association, and chief editor of the Journal of Teacher Education from 2000-06.

Since its inception more than a decade ago, Cochran-Smith has been co-editor (with Susan Lytle) of the Teachers College Press series on Practitioner Inquiry. This book series, which is the only one of its kind in the world, now includes more than 40 books by practitioners and/or about practitioner research, including Inquiry as Stance: Practitioner Research for the Next Generation, co-authored by Cochran-Smith and Lytle in 2009. The series refl ects Cochran-Smith’s long-term research agenda related to theorizing and implementing in practice the notion of inquiry as a lifelong stance on educational practice, including teaching, school leadership, and teacher education. Cochran-Smith also co-edited the Handbook of Research on Teacher Education: Enduring Questions in Changing Contexts (3rd Edition), which was published in 2008.

Her many awards in teacher education include AACTE’s David Imig Award for Distinguished Lifetime Achievement in Teacher Education in 2010, AERA’s Research to Practice Award for her book, Policy, Practice and Politics in Teacher Education in 2007, and the inaugural C.J. Koh Endowed Distinguished Professorship at the National Institute of Education in Singapore in 2006. She was a Scholar in Residence at the Mofet Institute for Teacher Development in Tel Aviv in 2000.

Andrew J. Rotherham is a co-founder and partner at Bellwether Education, a non-profi t organization working to improve educational outcomes for low-income students. He leads Bellwether’s thought leadership, idea generation, and policy analysis work. He also writes the weekly “School of Thought” column for TIME.com as well as the blog Eduwonk.com and is the co-publisher of “Education Insider,” a federal policy research tool produced by Whiteboard Advisors. He previously served at The White House as Special Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy during the Clinton administration and is a former member of the Virginia Board of Education. In addition to Bellwether, Rotherham has founded or co-founded two other infl uential education reform organizations including Education Sector and served on the boards of several other successful education start-ups.

Rotherham is the author or co-author of more than 150 published articles, book chapters, papers, and op-eds about education policy and politics and is the author or editor of four books on educational policy. He serves on advisory boards and committees for a variety of organizations including Education Pioneers, The Broad Foundation, and the National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research (CALDER). He is on the board of directors for the Indianapolis Mind Trust, is Vice Chair of the Curry School of Education Foundation at the University of Virginia, and serves on the Visiting Committee for the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Rotherham believes dramatic improvements in America’s education system are integral to ensuring equality of opportunity and building a more equitable and just society.

He lives in Virginia with his wife and two daughters.

PLENARY SPEAKERS

John D. Barge is Georgia’s State School Superintendent. He was born and raised in Cobb County, Ga., graduated from Campbell High School in 1984, and attended Berry College in Rome, Ga. on academic and journalism scholarships where he earned his bachelor’s degree in 1988.

Barge has earned three advanced degrees – a master’s degree and a specialist’s degree from the State University of West Georgia and his doctorate degree in educational leadership from the University of Georgia. In his 20 years in education, he has served as a high school English teacher, middle school Spanish teacher, assistant principal, and principal. He also served as the State Director of Career, Technical and Agriculture Education for the Georgia Department of Education. He has been recognized as a STAR teacher in 1996, as Georgia’s Assistant Principal of the Year in 2001, and received the Berry College Alumni Association’s Distinguished Achievement Award in 2005.

Prior to becoming State School Superintendent, Barge served as the Director of Secondary Curriculum & Instruction with the Bartow County School System.

He and his wife, Loraine, have been married for 19 years. They have a 15-year-old daughter who attends public school in Floyd County.

Gregory L. Miller is Chief Economist with SunTrust Banks, Inc. He completed his graduate and undergraduate economics degrees at Florida State University and has been a practicing economist, forecaster, and teacher for over 30 years.

As SunTrust’s Chief Economist, Miller forecasts the national economy. He advises corporate and bank boards of directors as well as SunTrust clients. He sits on committees charged with interest rate setting, corporate investment, and benefi ts policy. He is a policy advisor for Private Wealth and Corporate Investment Banking groups.

Miller represents SunTrust in business media, including CNBC News, Bloomberg News, Fox Business, Reuters, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Blue Chip Financial Forecast, and many local news media platforms.

Prior to joining SunTrust, Miller was on the faculty of the College of Business Administration at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

In addition to his regular SunTrust duties, Miller is active in the National Association for Business Economics and the Financial Roundtable.

Miller is also a member and past-chair of the Economic Advisory Committee of the American Bankers Association—a national group of economists who meet with the Federal Reserve Board of Governors to discuss the economy and monetary policy.

AGENDA – Thursday, September 20, 2012

Time Activity & Speaker Location8:00-9:00 Conference Registration / Coffee ..............................................Conference Registration Desk / Pecan Tree Galleria

9:00-10:15 Welcome .............................................................................................................................................................. Masters Hall Arthur M. (Andy) Horne, Dean, College of Education Keynote Speaker Marilyn Cochran-Smith, Cawthorne Professor, Lynch School of Education, Boston College Teacher Education at a Crossroads: Challenges and Opportunities

10:15-10:45 Refreshment Break ................................................................................................................................ Pecan Tree Galleria

10:45-12:00 Breakout Sessions Making Education Work for all Georgians ................................................................................................. Masters Hall Teresa MacCartney, Avis King, Martha Reichrath, Melissa Fincher, & Martha Ann Todd- Georgia Department of Education

Improving the State of Education in Georgia through the Vision Project ....................................................Room T/U Stan DeJarnett, Director, Vision for Public Education; Chris Erwin, Superintendent, Banks County Schools; Steve Flynt, Deputy Superintendent, Gwinnett County Public Schools

Evaluating Teachers in the Era of Standardization .............................................................................................Room J Peter Smagorinsky, University of Georgia, College of Education

Can School-Level Diversity Still be a Goal for Districts? .............................................................................Room V/W Elizabeth DeBray, University of Georgia, College of Education

Policies Affecting K-12 Education in Georgia ................................................................................................ Room Y/Z Alvin Wilbanks, Gwinnett County Public Schools Superintendent

12:00-2:00 Lunch ........................................................................................................................................................Magnolia Ballroom Luncheon Speaker Introduction by Arthur M. (Andy) Horne, Dean, College of Education

John Barge, Georgia State School Superintendent

2:00-3:15 Breakout Sessions Governor Nathan Deal’s State Strategic Plan in Education: Developing Life, College,

and Work-Ready Students ............................................................................................................................ Masters Hall Kristin Bernhard, Governor’s Offi ce

Policies in Early Education and Care: A Federal, State, and Local Analysis .................................................Room T/U Cindy Vail, Rebecca Lieberman, Stacy Neuharth-Pritchett- University of Georgia, College of Education; Shelly Goodman, Clarke County School District; Susan Adams, Georgia Department of Early Care & Learning

Teacher Evaluation Growth Models in Connection with Compensation Issues ...........................................Room V/W Eric Houck, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Closing the Achievement Gap in Georgia: Action Steps for Policy Elites ............................................................Room J Sheneka Williams, University of Georgia, College of Education

State Education Finance Study Commission- Updates and Recommendations ............................................ Room Y/Z James Bostic, HEP and Associates; L.C. “Buster” Evans, Forsyth County Schools; Lauren Greer, Senate Research Offi ce; Lee Lovett, Hall County Schools Moderator: Russ Cook, NEGA RESA

3:15-3:45 Refreshment Break ................................................................................................................................ Pecan Tree Galleria

3:45-5:00 Plenary Speaker .................................................................................................................................................. Masters Hall Introduction by Cheri Hoy, Associate Dean for Faculty and Finance, College of Education Gregory Miller, Chief Economist, SunTrust Bank The Case of the Disappearing Recovery

AGENDA – Friday, September 21, 2012

Time Activity & Speaker Location7:30-8:30 Conference Registration / Coffee ..............................................Conference Registration Desk / Pecan Tree Galleria

8:30-10:00 Keynote Speaker ................................................................................................................................................ Masters Hall Introduction by Sheneka Williams, University of Georgia, College of Education Andrew (Andy) J. Rotherham, Co-founder and partner – Bellwether Education What to Expect from Washington in 2013

10:00-10:30 Refreshment Break ................................................................................................................................ Pecan Tree Galleria

10:30-11:45 Closing Panel: Moderated by Arthur M. (Andy) Horne, Dean, College of Education What IS the State of Education in Georgia? .............................................................................................. Masters Hall Lynne Weisenbach, Vice Chancellor for Educational Access & Success, USG; Chris Erwin, Superintendent, Banks County Schools; Stan DeJarnett, Director, Vision for Public Education; Valerie Wilson, President, Georgia School Boards Association

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

The Case of the Disappearing RecoveryGregory Miller, Chief Economist, SunTrust Bank

The US economic recovery has recently geared to stall speed.  Some of the slowdown refl ects deep fundamentals of economic growth.  Some arises from high-profi le/low-impact global issues and political rhetoric.  History says the fundamentals eventually win out and preoccupation with high-profi le/low-impact events risks missing important investment opportunities.  We will review the important economic drivers and political events to weigh the risks.

What To Expect From Washington In 2013Andy Rotherham, Co-founder & partner, Bellwether Education

Closing Panel- What IS the State of Education in Georgia?Andy Horne, Dean, College of Education; Lynne Weisenbach, Vice Chancellor for Educational Access & Success,

USG; Chris Erwin, Superintendent, Banks County Schools; Stan DeJarnett, Director, Vision for Public Education;

Valerie Wilson, President, Georgia School Boards Association

The conference will conclude with a panel in which state education leaders offer their assessment of the state of education in Georgia. These brief presentations will be followed by a question and answer session with the audience.

PLENARY SPEAKERS

Teacher Education at a Crossroads: Challenges and OpportunitiesMarilyn Cochran-Smith, Cawthorne Professor, Lynch School of Education, Boston College

There is now unprecedented attention, almost worldwide, on teacher quality defi ned in terms of student achievement. Politicians, policy makers and researchers of all stripes now assume that teachers are a critical infl uence (if not the single most important infl uence) on how, what, and how much students learn. Accordingly, there are now extremely high expectations for teacher performance, and the question of how the nation’s teachers are recruited, prepared, and supported has become one of the hottest topics in the public and academic discourse regarding education. In the United States, teacher education is at a crossroads. This keynote address will describe and critique several of the major challenges and opportunities now facing teacher education, drawing on many examples and suggesting possible directions for the future.

BREAK-OUT SESSIONS

SAVE THE DATE! State of Education in Georgia Conference

September 19-20, 2013

UGA Hotel & Conference Center at the Georgia Center

Athens, GA

www.coe.uga.edu/events

Making Education Work for All GeorgiansTeresa MacCartney, Georgia Department of Education; Martha Reichrath, Georgia Department of Education;

Avis King, Georgia Department of Education; Martha Ann Todd, Georgia Department of Education;

Melissa Fincher, Georgia Department of Education

The presentation will give an overview of the most current information coming from the Georgia Department of Education. This will include a Race to the Top Overview, Common Core, Georgia College and Career Ready Performance Index, Teacher and Leader Evaluation Systems and Teacher and Principal Induction.

Improving the State of Education in Georgia through the Vision ProjectStan DeJarnett, Director, Vision for Public Education; Chris Erwin, Superintendent, Banks County Schools;

Steve Flynt, Deputy Superintendent, Gwinnett County Public Schools

The Vision for Public Education was developed to offer a series of recommendations that, taken in total, implemented effectively over the state, and supported by the citizens of the state and policymakers, will transform public education in Georgia.  This session will focus on how school districts in Georgia are implementing recommendations from the Vision Project and how these recommendations are impacting education in their districts.

Evaluating Teachers in the Era of StandardizationPeter Smagorinsky, Professor, College of Education, UGA

The presenter will focus on challenges of providing authentic teacher evaluations in an era when standards are imposing homogeneity on increasingly diverse teachers and students. He will review what goes into being an effective teacher in the whole of a school’s mission, and contrast what is available through an assessment of those performances in contrast with the Duncan focus on standardized test scores as the sole arbiter of instructional impact on students. The session will include an open discussion with the session’s participants.

Policies Affecting K-12 Education in GeorgiaJ. Alvin Wilbanks, CEO & Superintendent, Gwinnett County Public Schools

There continues to be a plethora of policies enacted at the state and federal levels which are intended to increase students’ chances for success by improving the schools they attend.  What are some of these policies?  What are their intended outcomes?  Do some of these policies result in unintended consequences?  This session will provide information on some of the most recent policies, how they are impacting education in Georgia, and some of their potential unintended consequences.

Can School-Level Diversity Still be a Goal for Districts?Elizabeth DeBray, Associate Professor, College of Education, UGA

The presenter will provide an overview of her 2011 co-edited book with Erica Frankenberg of Pennsylvania State University about policy and legal options for school districts wishing to pursue school-level racial or socioeconomic diversity as a goal in the aftermath of the 2007 United States Supreme Court decision, Parents Involved in Community Schools.

BREAK-OUT SESSIONS

Governor Nathan Deal’s State Strategic Plan in Education:

Developing Life-, College- & Work-Ready StudentsKristin Bernhard, Education Policy Advisor, Offi ce of Governor Nathan Deal

We know strong schools are the only proven route to tomorrow’s good jobs, and we must focus efforts on producing well-prepared students who are life-, college- and work-ready.  Governor Deal’s Education Policy Advisor will share the Governor’s state strategic plan in education and provide updates on the Governor’s education initiatives throughout the P-20 continuum, including improving student achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, improving early literacy, increasing teacher and school leader effectiveness, and improving college access and completion rates across Georgia.

Policies in Early Education & Care: A Federal, State & Local AnalysisCindy Vail, Associate Professor, College of Education, UGA; Stacey Neuharth-Pritchett, Professor, College of Education,

UGA; Rebecca Lieberman, Assistant Professor, College of Education, UGA; Susan Adams, Assistant Commissioner, Georgia

Department of Early Care & Learning; Shelley Goodman, Director, Offi ce for Early Learning, Clarke County School District

High-quality early-learning environments are critical for the optimal development of young children and later school success. This session will provide an overview of Federal and State policies and current initiatives that effect programs for young children. We will then discuss how Clarke County Schools combine multiple programs and funding streams to provide a seamless, quality early learning program for infants, toddlers and preschool aged children. The session will include opportunities for participants to discuss issues related to these policies and practices.

Education as a “Growth” Industry: Implications of Student Growth Measures

for Teacher Compensation PolicyEric Houck, Associate Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

This presentation reviews plans for teacher compensation reform proposed by 12 Race to the Top (RTTT) winning states.  It then provides an update on challenges to implementing these proposed reforms based on current research about 1) the effi cacy of current teacher compensations policies, and 2) measuring teacher effectiveness via student performance and/or growth.

Closing the Achievement Gap in Georgia: Action Steps for Policy ElitesSheneka Williams, Assistant Professor, College of Education, UGA

Research studies suggest that opportunity and achievement gaps exist between students of color and White students. Additionally, research studies contend that opportunity and achievement gaps persist between students born into impoverished families and those who are born of privilege. While these gaps exist before students enter school, policies formulated and implemented at the school district level play a pivotal role in students’ academic trajectories. Thus, the purpose of this session is to assist district- and state- level policy elites in thinking about how student assignment plays a role in student achievement outcomes. This session will highlight a variety of districts across the nation that have implemented student assignment policies that have resulted in increased student achievement among all students, but particularly among low-income students of color.

State Education Finance Study Commission – Updates & RecommendationsJames Bostic, Managing Director, HEP & Associates; L.C. (Buster) Evans, Superintendent, Forsyth County Schools; Lauren Greer, Senior Policy Analyst, Senate Research Offi ce; Lee Lovett, Deputy Superintendent & Chief Financial Offi cer, Hall County Schools

The State Education Finance Study Commission began its work in June 2011 with the charge of studying the cost and resources required to educate a child as well as comprehensively reviewing Georgia’s current education funding formula.  The Commission made recommendations in late 2011 that resulted in legislation that was acted on during the 2012 legislative session.  This session will provide updates on the continuing work of the four sub-committees of the Commission and possible recommendations that will result in legislation to be considered by the General Assembly during the 2013 legislative session.