Schools May Come Under State Control

When the state Department Of Education’s AYP or Adequate Yearly Progress report is issued later this month, it’s estimated nearly 70 schools will be designated as needs improvement.

Under a pilot program sponsored by the federal government, those schools will be allowed to participate in an alternative accountability plan.

The new plan calls for Georgia schools faced with more than five years of needs improvement status to come under direct supervision of the state.

The federal Differentiated Accountability Plan allows schools to design alternative plans to the highly structured No Child Left Behind Act.

Previously, the state waited to intervene until a school was in needs improvement status for seven consecutive years.

Dana Tofig is with the Georgia Department of Education.

“The school and state enter into a contract. And, the contract says the school is going do these things to try to improve and the state is going to do these things to try to help them. We’re just there to provide assistance. Also try to provide some level of accountability. We are now a party to a contract that says ‘we’re going to improve this school.’

The state will pay for a full-time school improvement specialist at each of the more than 60 schools expected to be deemed needs improvement.

The plan will not abolish local school board or eliminate school administrators.