By Kathryn Schiliro
Managing Editor

An effort, it seems, to focus on a variety of student evaluation tools and techniques is being put into place at the Morgan County School System's administrative level, as administrators will hear presentations and participate in training this week on two of these evaluation tools.
On Monday the state Department of Education (DOE) came to town to give a Student Growth Module presentation. This DOE-endorsed system aids in evaluating "student progress year to year in terms of growth (subject to subject), not test scores," Assistant Superintendent Debra White said.
The presentation was in such high demand that when other members of the Northeast Georgia RESA (Regional Educational Service Agency), of which Morgan County is a part, heard that the DOE was speaking to Morgan, they asked to attend. So the county played host to about 100 representatives from other area system interested in the Student Growth Modules.
On Thursday, system administration will hold training on another program: Measures of Academic Progress (MAP).
The system initially became interested in MAP after a visit to the City Schools of Decatur system; that system has had MAP in place for four years
MAP is an Common Core assessment tool that allows for better predictions about student results on standardized tests. Three times during the school year, MAP assessments are administered to students through 10th grade, prior to them taking a test like the CRCT. This allows teachers to evaluate whether they need to revisit any specific content in the classroom prior to any sort of upcoming test.
Morgan County is planning on beginning with MAP assessments in February and March of this school year, White said.

Printed in the January 10, 2013