ATLANTA (AP) Georgia education officials are expected to open their review of expectations for K-12 students, ordered by Gov. Nathan Deal in response to criticism of the state's version of Common Core standards, to the public during a special meeting on Wednesday in Atlanta. <br />
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The revisions, released for the first time on Tuesday, don't make substantial changes, educators and other experts said. <br />
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Georgia was among 45 states to adopt some version of the standards, with little fuss. But conservatives in the state soon began questioning the requirements, and in August the governor ordered the review. The State Board of Education held hearings throughout the state and the Department of Education conducted focus groups with teachers. <br />
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But most of the changes are tweaks to clear up language or examples given in the standards, which are organized into charts specifying what students at each grade level should be able to accomplish. The biggest difference is a shift away from a strategy called integrated math that Georgia moved toward in recent years. Using that system, high school students learn algebra and geometry concepts at the same time, advancing in difficulty, rather than taking algebra one year and geometry another as in traditional math. <br />
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Both strategies are accepted under the Common Core standards. <br />
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Moving back to a traditional strategy is the biggest decision for state officials, said Dana Rickman, policy and research director at the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education. The group is one of the outside partners to participate in the review process. Rickman and the group's President Steve Dolinger said they weren't surprised by the lack of major changes. <br />
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``They took the time-out to have these hearings all across the state and validated we're on the right track and responded to some political criticism,'' Dolinger said. <br />
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Teachers' organizations also said they saw little change in the revisions. Sid Chapman, president of the lobbying group Georgia Association of Educators, said their members want consistency after numerous changes to the state's testing system and requirements in recent years. <br />
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``Let's just try something here for a little while and see if it works,'' Chapman said. <br />
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Georgians will have 60 days to weigh in if board members open public comment on Wednesday. Board members could vote on the standards at their January meeting, DOE spokesman Matt Cardoza said. <br />
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Politics could still play a role, as the Legislature returns to Atlanta and state Superintendent-elect Richard Woods takes office in mid-January. Woods, who was not available for comment late Tuesday, has said the state should re-evaluate its adoption of Common Core. <br />
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Georgia is among several states reviewing their adoption of Common Core standards amid a political backlash led by conservatives. The set of requirements for K-12 students in English and math was developed by the National Governors Association and Council of Chief State Schools Officers. The organizations said a national benchmark was needed to ensure student preparedness.
