With the release of the 2022 National Assessment of Education Progress scores, the pre-pandemic cracks in educational performance were widened for the U.S. to see. Already behind other leading countries’ performance, the nation’s report card illustrated a historic decline in student performance and learning loss during the past two years of disruption – in addition to more than a decade of downward trends. While tragic, this crisis provides a unique once-in-a-generation opportunity for policymakers and state education leaders to innovate and rethink existing education models.
Southern state legislators and staff joined in Atlanta for the “Leveraging Learning Loss” Policy Masterclass. Twenty-three legislators and staff from 12 CSG South member states – Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia – participated in the Masterclass. First Lady Marty Kemp of Georgia and 2023-2023 SLC Chair Craig Blair, Senate President and Lieutenant Governor of West Virginia, provided pre-recorded opening remarks.
Over three days, participants engaged in programming covering myriad topics and issues across the education policy spectrum. Briefings included NAEP 101 training, strategies for addressing chronic absenteeism, examples of successful learning acceleration and recovery programs using federal funds from three Southern states, the often-overlooked aspects of early childhood and special education, and how to use data in education policy decisions. Attendees also visited the Georgia Department of Education to speak with Georgia State Superintendent of Education Richard Woods and heard from the Office of Rural Education and Innovation team. They were also given a tour of the Gold Dome and the history of the Georgia Capitol by Representatives Matt Dubnik, Chris Erwin, and Senator Clint Dixon. Experts from several prestigious organizations briefed attendees, including the following:
- National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB)
- FutureEd
- Tennessee Department of Education
- Georgia Tech Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC)
- National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE)
- Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice School System
- Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning
- Georgia Foundation for Early Care + Learning
- Former State School Superintendents from Mississippi and South Carolina
- Georgia Department of Education’s Office of Rural Education and Innovation
- Georgia General Assembly’s House Education Appropriations and Education Committee and Senate Education Committee
- North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s Office of Learning Recovery and Acceleration,
- Georgia Statewide Afterschool Network
- Florida Department of Education’s Division of Accountability, Research, and Measures’ Office of K-12 Assessment
- Education Commission of the States (ECS)
Hosted by CSG South, participants in this Masterclass increased their knowledge of education policy and examples of state solutions by interacting with subject matter experts and colleagues from other Southern states. Participants also engaged in a breakout session where working groups collaborated to identify up to three priority areas in education policy. The CSG South Education Committee will further develop these member-generated policy recommendations moving forward.
Participants in this Masterclass included:
- Representative Rhonda Baker, Oklahoma, Chair, CSG South Education Committee
- Senator Ghazala Hashmi, Virginia, Vice Chair, CSG South Education Committee
- Representative Alan Baker, Alabama
- Representative Terri Collins, Alabama
- Senator Clint Dixon, Georgia
- Representative Matt Dubnik, Georgia
- Representative Chris Erwin, Georgia
- Representative Killian Timoney, Kentucky
- Senator Hillman Frazier, Mississippi
- Representative Carl Mickens, Mississippi
- Representative Orlando Paden, Mississippi
- Representative Ingrid Burnett, Missouri
- Representative Dick Lowe, Oklahoma
- Representative John Waldron, Oklahoma
- Senator Jo Anna Dossett, Oklahoma
- Senator John Haste, Oklahoma
- Senator Amy Galey, North Carolina
- Representative Annie McDaniel, South Carolina
- Representative Vincent Dixie, Tennessee
- Delegate Anitra Hamilton, West Virginia
- Dr. Jeni Corn, North Carolina
- Ms. Rachel Wright-Junio, North Carolina
- Mr. Scott Sloan, Tennessee
Presentations:
Education Commission of the States (ECS). Florida Department of Education FutureEd Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning Georgia Department of Education’s Office of Rural Education and Innovation Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice School System Georgia Statewide Afterschool Network Georgia Tech Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC) National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s Office of Learning Recovery and Acceleration