Latest news with #GOSA
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Governor's office releases revised list of ‘low-performing schools' in GA
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — The Georgia Governor's Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) released their updated list of schools in the state that are considered 'low performing' this month. This means that anyone zoned for those schools is eligible to receive the Georgia Promise Scholarship, a grant for private school tuition. The updated list includes several schools in the Savannah Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS). 'They calculated the lowest performing schools based on the lowest 25 percentile,' Chief Academic Officer for SCCPSS, Derrick Butler, said. When the list was initially released, the district said they were still working to determine how that many schools ended up on the low end of the list. There have been several versions of the list since it was initially published. 'We're all grappling to understand every time a list goes up and comes back down, it creates more ambiguity, more confusion. That's why we need to go through this for a year to figure out what it means and what the implications would be,' SCCPSS Superintendent Denise Watts, Ph.D., said in December 2024. A revised list came out this month, and in Chatham County, all the same schools are still on the list, with the stipulation that one of the schools on the list is now closed. 'These are not necessarily new data points for us. I think what was new was how the governor's office would calculate,' Butler said. 'The calculation essentially has taken what was a more comprehensive picture around content mastery, progress, readiness, graduation rate, attendance, literacy, and has created a single score to create the lowest 25 percentile list.' SCCPSS officials said they don't necessarily believe the list is representative of the entire picture when it comes to their students. 'Our students are more than just a number, more than just a cut score. Our teachers are more than just someone who educated students and it may not have gotten to that bar yet,' SCCPSS Chief of Schools, Raymond Barnes, Ph.D., said. Some schools in Chatham County have exceeded GOSA's standards, but for those who haven't, officials with the school system said they are working to lift them up. 'Many of those schools that may be on the list as well receive additional funding to help enhance some of the supports based on specific needs,' Butler said. Barnes said, 'We want to make sure that we make every school in our school district a school of choice for our students, right? We 100% believe that parents and students should have choice and free reign over their education. We just want to make sure we are offering a product that all of our families say is a great choice for my child.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Georgia republishes list of low-performing schools eligible for voucher program
Months after it was taken down, Georgia officials have republished the list of low-performing schools where students are eligible for the state's new voucher program. The Governor's Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) created and published several versions of the school list at the end of November and start of December, but each time they pulled it back after calculation 'outliers.' [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] In a statement shared with Channel 2 Action News, GOSA Director Joy Hawkins said the office needed to do a 'careful, thorough and conscientious analysis of the validation process to ensure the ultimate list is correct.' On Friday, the GOSA republished the list which along with a list of frequently asked questions. You can see below if your student's school is on the list. Georgia Promise Scholarship Public School List by WSB-TV Assignment Desk on Scribd The list is one of several factors that determines if a student is eligible for the Georgia Promise Scholarship vouchers. Gov. Brian Kemp signed the law approving the program in 2024. Under the act, eligible families can get up to $6,500 to pay for private school tuition, home-school expenses or other education related expenses. In addition to attending a low-performing school, the student must also have attended the public school for at least two consecutive semesters or entering kindergarten. The student's parent or parents must have been a Georgia resident for at least a year unless they are on active duty in the military. The law also states that priority goes to families who earn less than four times the federal property level. The application portal opens on March 1. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] The school voucher program has been met with mixed reaction since its approval. This week, a Georgia state representative has introduced a bill to overturn the school voucher program. 'Since being signed into law, the voucher bill's implementation has been fraught with delays and unforeseen challenges, causing further issues for our public education system,' Rep. Floyd Griffin (D-Milledgeville) said. 'The voucher program disproportionately affects our state's rural school districts, where private schools are inaccessible to most families. We see a similar challenge in urban school districts, where transportation and private school tuition costs also make the voucher program unattainable for families. In attempting to improve our school systems, the program has done the exact opposite and has reduced vital funding to students and families who rely on public education,' he added. RELATED STORIES: Georgia school voucher program may be in jeopardy due to confusion over the law State takes down list of low-performing schools where students are eligible for voucher program Georgia $6,500 school vouchers: What to know about the bill heading to Gov. Kemp's desk Georgia moves forward in creating voucher program for private and home schools
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
See which Savannah schools made the final GA Promise Scholarship list, apps open March 1
Two months past a required publication date of Dec. 1, 2024, the final version of the Georgia Promise Scholarship Public School List populated on the Governor's Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) website over the Presidents' Day weekend. GOSA's Promise Scholarship Public School List Calculation Guide also appears on the page. The calculation process for determining the lowest performing 25% of Georgia's schools had been a major question for months as GOSA recalculated the list multiple times. The calculation is based on student achievement related to the average of a school's College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) performance scores from the last two academic years. Once again, 18 Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS) schools are on the Promise School List. The schools are the same 18 that appeared on an adjusted list posted back on Dec. 4, 2024. Families can start applying for the Promise Scholarship school voucher on March 1 based on eligibility requirements. Students must have been enrolled in a Georgia public school for two consecutive semesters or be a rising kindergarten student. Also, parents or guardians of eligible students must have resided in Georgia for one or more years (with exception of active-duty military). Additionally, eligible students must reside in a Georgia public school attendance zone based on the Promise School List. Students, however, do not have to have attended that public school. For example, a student who has attended a public charter or public remote learning school for two consecutive semesters is eligible. Here are the 18 Savannah-Chatham schools on the Promise List: Robert W. Gadsden Elementary School, 919 May St., Savannah, Georgia Bishop Gilbert Haven Elementary School, 5111 Dillon Ave. Isle of Hope K-8 School, 100 Parkersburg Road Largo-Tibet Elementary School* School of Humanities at Juliette Gordon Low Elementary, 15 Blue Ridge Ave. Southwest Elementary School, 6020 Ogeechee Road White Bluff Elementary School, 9402 White Bluff Road Windsor Forest Elementary School, 414 Briarcliff Circle *On May 16, 2024, a school closing ceremony was held for Largo-Tibet, which was phased out of use as part of the school district's Long-Range Facilities Plan. Students who resided within the attendance zone for Largo-Tibet were rezoned to either Casimir Pulaski K-8 School, 1001 Tibet Ave. or Windsor Forest Elementary. DeRenne Middle School, 1009 Clinch St. John W. Hubert Middle School, 768 Grant St. George A. Mercer Middle School at Davis-Edwards-Harris Educational Complex, 100 Priscilla D. Thomas Way, Garden City Lee Roy Myers Middle School, 2025 E. 52nd St. Southwest Middle School, 6030 Ogeechee Road West Chatham Middle School, 800 Pine Barren Road, Pooler Robert W. Groves High School at Davis-Edwards-Harris Educational Complex, 100 Priscilla D. Thomas Way, Garden City Herschel V. Jenkins High School, 1800 E DeRenne Ave., Savannah School of Liberal Studies at Savannah High, 400 Pennsylvania Ave. Windsor Forest High School, 12419 Largo Drive which is the portal for schools and families to sign up for Promise Scholarship consideration, published the latest list of approved participating private schools on Feb. 10. Eleven Savannah area schools are on that list: Benedictine Military School, 6502 Seawright Drive, Savannah, Georgia Bethesda Academy, 9520 Ferguson Ave. Grace Christian Academy - Savannah, 309B Tibet Ave. Memorial Day School, 6500 Habersham St. Ramah Jr. Academy, 3400 Florence St. Risen Savior Christian Academy, 1755 Quacco Road, Pooler Saint James Catholic School, 8412 Whitefield Ave., Savannah Savannah Country Day School, 824 Stillwood Drive St. Andrew's School, 601 Penn Waller Road St. Peter Apostle School, 7020 Concord Road St. Vincent's Academy, 207 E. Liberty St. As families review private school options, they can refer to the for both the Family Handbook (in English and Spanish) as well as the Private School Handbook. The website also has more information on application and enrollment periods. The Promise website states that families will find out if they qualify some time in early 2025. The Georgia Education Savings Authority plans to issue quarterly payments to qualifying students' families by July 1, 2025 for the 2025-2026 academic year. Joseph Schwartzburt is the education and workforce development reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at JSchwartzburt@ and @jschwartstory84 on This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: GA Promise Scholarship finally has list of eligible schools
