2. Where Do We Stand Today ? By all measures, Forsyth County Schools are excellent... among the best. The challenge of Forsyth County Schools is to move from being among the best to being THE BEST.

3. Where Do We Stand Today ? 2006-08 Georgia SAT Total System (# tested) 200820072006 1Trion City (23) 162515041669 2FULTON (3973) 159315951580 3CHEROKEE (1196) 157515481565 4OCONEE (363) 156615751541 5Rome City (133) 155816211545 6Decatur City (146) 155515741534 7FAYETTE (1394) 155115481555 8FORSYTH (1104) 155015461538

4. Where Do We Stand Today ? 2006-08 Metro SAT Total System (# tested) 200820072006 1FULTON (3973) 159315951580 2CHEROKEE (1196) 157515481566 3Decatur City (146) 155515741534 4FAYETTE (1394) 155115481556 5FORSYTH (1104) 155015461538 6COBB (5433) 152315341538 7GWINNETT (6254) 152115241541

5. Where Do We Want to Be ? All students will be prepared fully for success after high school. All college-bound students will be prepared fully for superior performance on the SAT / ACT and for the opportunity to attend the college university of first choice. All college-bound students will be prepared fully for success in college.

6. Where Do We Want to Be ? System (# tested) 2008 1Trion City (23) 1625 2FULTON (3973) 1593 3CHEROKEE (1196) 1575 4OCONEE (363) 1566 5Rome City (133) 1558 6Decatur City (146) 1555 7FAYETTE (1394) 1551 8FORSYTH (1104) 1550 If FCS students gained… 1% 16 points = 1566 2% 31 points = 1581 3% 47 points = 1597 4% 62 points = 1612 5% 78 points = 1628

7. How Will We Get There ? Implement SAT 2400 recommendations in five key areas: Academic Rigor in Curriculum & Instruction SAT / ACT Test Preparation Opportunities Advisement & Guidance Programs School & Student Incentives Stakeholder Communication

8. CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION Increase the level of academic rigor in every K-12 classroom in Forsyth County Schools through focused professional learning and collaboration. Define academic rigor K-12 for all classrooms & content areas. Increase academic rigor by increasing the quantity & quality of AP/IB and advanced content course offerings across FCS 6-12. Provide 6-12 professional learning for teachers in areas of vertical teaming and teaching critical thinking / problem solving strategies. Develop process / plan for incorporating critical thinking / problem solving, academic vocabulary & reading comprehension, and student application of knowledge into all K-12 classrooms.

9. CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION Increase the level of academic rigor in every K-12 classroom in Forsyth County Schools through focused professional learning and professional collaboration. Provide 6-12 professional learning for teachers to improve use of national (PSAT, PLAN, etc.), state & district standardized assessment data to inform classroom instruction. Implement 6-12 vertical teams (ex. Math) to increase academic rigor by embedding “college readiness standards” into FCS curriculum along with the GPS & QCC. Develop process / plan for incorporating critical thinking / problem solving, academic vocabulary, reading comprehension, and student application of knowledge into all K-12 classrooms.

10. SAT / ACT PREP Offer comprehensive, district-wide SAT / ACT Prep opportunities to Forsyth County students. Provide all Forsyth County students access to SAT / ACT Prep opportunities outside of the school day (College Board SAT Prep Course). Offer SAT/ACT Prep in the standard high school curriculum district-wide.

11. ADVISEMENT & GUIDANCE Improve the quantity, quality & timing of information provided to students and parents related to post- secondary options through guidance counseling and academic advisement programs. Implement a revised 6-12 assessment plan (incorporating PLAN, PSAT in grades 9-12). Provide 6-12 professional learning for teachers to use & explain testing data to students & parents. (Georgia DOE PSAT Workshop). Develop an improved 6-12 counseling plan for improved post-secondary planning by students & families (Georgia 411). Include post-secondary planning as part of 6-12 academic advisement program (Teachers As Advisors).

12. STUDENT & SCHOOL INCENTIVES Develop programs that will provide incentives & recognition to students and schools for high achievement and improvement. Develop district-wide scholarship & recognition program for students showing greatest improvement in SAT. Develop programs where successful high schools students mentor & advise 6-8 students to prepare them for high school success and post-secondary planning. Develop a classroom program rewarding students for participation in SAT Question of the Day in every core high school classroom (ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies). Design on-going recognition programs at all high schools for students (pep rallies, T shirts, etc.) Design FCS “Academic Trophy” process to reward schools for achievement & improvement in SAT / ACT scores.

13. COMMUNICATIONS Develop a district-wide communication plan that effectively targets our stakeholder audiences: Students Parents School System Staff Community And uses varied resources (print, electronic, mail, DVD) to reach all school system stakeholders with accurate, timely, and relevant post-secondary planning information on an ongoing basis.

14. How Will We Measure Progress? “It’s more than just SAT scores…” Using data collection & analysis tools including performance data stored in Infinite Campus, the R4 Digital Dashboard, and Class Profiles to track FCS progress through -- standardized test scores (SAT, ACT, PSAT, PLAN, etc.) -- student course & program enrollment data -- student classroom performance -- student attendance & extra-curricular involvement -- student HS grad rate, college admissions & scholarship awards data -- stakeholder perception data (ex-survey)

15. What Do We Do Next ? Engage district, school, community & business leadership in implementing all recommendations. Coordinate SAT 2400 recommendations with other improvement & planning efforts (ex— FCS Strategic Planning, HS Improvement, MS Improvement, Teachers As Advisors Program & Guidance, R4 Digital Dashboard Implementation, ANGEL Learning & Technology initiatives). For areas requiring expenditure of funds (ex-SAT Prep, Professional Learning) continue exploring service providers, vendors & plan for funding.

16. Where Can I Go To Learn More? SAT 2400 Challenge Webpage

17. Where Do We Stand Today ? 2006-08 Metro SAT Reading System200820072006 1Decatur City530537511 2FULTON527 522 3CHEROKEE525519524 4FORSYTH519517513 5FAYETTE518515518 6COWETA515509508 7COBB510515517 8GWINNETT504 508

18. Where Do We Stand Today ? 2006-08 Metro SAT Math System200820072006 1FULTON538540537 2CHEROKEE537521527 3FAYETTE528529533 4FORSYTH525521517 5GWINNETT522527532 6COBB514517 7Decatur City513527521

19. Where Do We Stand Today ? 2006-08 Metro SAT Writing System200820072006 1FULTON528 521 2CHEROKEE513508515 3Decatur City512510502 4FORSYTH506508 5FAYETTE505504505 6COBB499502504 7GWINNETT495493501

20. Where Do We Stand Today ? 2006-08 Metro SAT # Tested System200820072006 1GWINNETT625461555583 2COBB543352214993 3FULTON397337443747 6FAYETTE139414801489 8CHEROKEE119611291026 9FORSYTH11041065953 13Decatur City146111154

21. What Have Other Systems Done ? Fairfax County, VA Academic Rigor K-12 (critical reading & higher order thinking) Fulton County, GA Academic Rigor K-12 (enriched instruction for gifted students in advanced content courses 6-12, focus on comprehensive quality AP/IB course offerings 9-12) Rigorous district-wide assessment program & guidelines Comprehensive guidance support for students & parents Emphasis on non-fiction reading & writing (instruction & assessment) Focused SAT Prep (partnership with Kaplan) Cherokee County, GA Focused SAT Prep in Math (Algebra & Geometry)