Regional Education Service Agencies Georgia’s Network to Support School Systems
RESAs At a Glance Growing Readers Program
What’s Inside?
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Cost Savings Economic Impact
The RESA Network . . . is an innovative, forward-thinking, and knowledgeable partner for member school systems that use accurate and current data to plan strategically with stakeholders based on school and district needs.
sustains relationships at the state, district, and school level that allow for the consistent and timely exchange of information.
employs dynamic and passionate educators with recent and related school and/or system experience.
assists its members in streamlining the successful implementation of statewide initiatives to further student achievement.
assisting its members in operationalizing their system and their school improvement plans.
is committed to working in alignment with Georgia Standards of Excellence and the RESA Standards for Service.
Making a Difference Positioning Resources for Student Success When officials from the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement and the Georgia Department of Education wanted to implement education programs statewide, the RESA Network became the pathway for success.
Growing Readers Program Growing Readers Program (GRP) provides common off-site, job-embedded professional learning and intensive on-site classroom support to increase the effectiveness of K-3 reading instructional strategies to ensure that more children read at grade level by the end of third grade. The grant program is administered through the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) and is part of GOSA’s mission to invest in universal RESA initiatives designed to ensure that teachers in all regions of the state are receiving high-quality, replicable professional learning that directly targets statewide goals.
Growing Readers by the Numbers 16
RESAs
37
School Districts
61
Schools
379
Teachers
382
Hours of off-site professional learning
4,500
Hours of onsite teacher support by RESA Reading Specialists
Source: RESA Growing Readers Program: A K-3 Literacy Professional Learning Grant. 2015-2016 End of Year Evaluation Report, July 2016. The Governor’s Office of Student Achievement.
“I have more strategies to teach reading. I have new procedures to provide a productive reading environment in my classroom, and I now love teaching reading.” —Grant teacher Teacher practice findings reveal teachers are changing their instructional practices and implementing new strategies. “Consistent, quality teaching practices have been shared, practiced, and implemented across the state. This is the beginning of systemic change that should spread to more and more classrooms in the schools involved in the grant work.” Student outcome data show that the percentage of students meeting national benchmark standards has increased during the school year, and Tier 2 and Tier 3 students made statistically significant gains in reading performance on some assessments.
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports of Georgia Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an evidence-based framework proven to reduce disciplinary incidents, increase a school’s sense of safety, and support improved academic outcomes. What makes PBIS different is that it is a preventive and proactive system that addresses inappropriate behavior through fair and consistent discipline practices. This datadriven framework identifies the reasons negative behaviors occur and implements changes and interventions that address those behaviors.
PBIS by the Numbers
“Thanks to the invaluable support from RESA School Climate
16
RESAs
Specialists, we estimate that we will surpass having 1,000 schools
97
School Districts
trained in Tier 1 PBIS this year. Their support means that we can
851
School Teams Trained
broaden our technical assistance to districts in the classroom, teambased problem solving, and Tier 2.”
Source: PBIS Updates, Georgia Department of Education, Fall 2016.
A positive school climate is a critical component of student achievement. When students feel safe and secure in their schools, and when they develop positive relationships with the adults who teach and care for them, they want to attend school. As the school climate improves, so does teacher retention and teacher job satisfaction.
Economic Impact FY16 For every dollar of revenue received, RESAs generate many dollar savings for schools and school systems in Georgia.
$30.8 million in savings School System
$
$
Professional Learning
$
Educational Services
$
Cooperative/Central Purchasing
$
Shared Special Education Services
$
Business and Repair Operations
RESA District
$
RESAs—Guaranteeing a Strong System of Supports From the classroom to statewide initiatives
RESAs serve Georgia in many ways
• Job-Embedded Professional Learning
• Instructional Technology
• Content/Program Specialists
• Georgia Teacher Academy for Preparation and Pedagogy
• English/Language Arts • Mathematics
• Educator Preparation: Endorsements
• Reading
• Formative Instructional Practices: Georgia FIP
• Science • Social Studies • Special Education • School Improvement • Leadership Development • Teacher and Leader Keys Effectiveness Systems (TKES/LKES) • Local Board of Education Training
• Georgia School Assessment on Performance Standards (GSAPS) Reviews • Teacher Induction • Business Services • Shared Special Education Services • Data Analysis and Reporting
Plus . . . Many Locally-Developed Initiatives
Georgia’s RESA Districts Regional Education Service Agencies RESA VISION
RESA MISSION
Georgia’s RESA Network: A partner in building and
The mission of Georgia’s Statewide Network of Regional
sustaining high-performance learning in Georgia.
Education Service Agencies (RESAs) is to support the work, improvement, and effectiveness of local schools and school systems.
Central Savannah
North Georgia
Chattahoochee-Flint
Northeast Georgia
Coastal Plains
Northwest Georgia
First District
Oconee
Griffin
Okefenokee
Heart of Georgia
Pioneer
Metro
Southwest Georgia
Middle Georgia
West Georgia
RESAs think REGIONALLY and act LOCALLY
How are RESAs Governed? The governing body of each RESA is composed of the school superintendent from member school districts, the president or highest administrator of member post-secondary institutions, and a local public or regional library director. Known as the Board of Control, these individuals meet monthly to conduct the business of shared services for the RESA. An executive director is employed by the board to serve as the administrative head of the agency.
Educating for Success Job-Embedded Professional Learning and Coaching
From face-to-face instruction to online courses and workshops, Georgia’s RESAs offer educators a variety of opportunities for job-embedded professional learning and coaching.
16 RESAs
87,372 Teachers and school staff engaged in professional learning
180 School systems served
RESA Network By the Numbers FY16 28,348 Teachers and school staff attending technology-focused training
25,728 Teachers earning credit through courses and workshops
This publication was developed and designed by the
Since 1927, the Carl Vinson Institute of Government has been an integral part of the University of Georgia. A public service and outreach unit of the university, the Institute of Government is the largest and most comprehensive university-based organization serving governments in the United States through research services, customized assistance, training and development, and the application of technology.