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Education consists of public and private schools in the U.S. state of Georgia, including the University System of Georgia, Technical College System of Georgia, private colleges, and secondary and primary schools.
The vast majority of public schools in the state are operated by county-ordered districts, with city-based districts (autonomous from county districts) being a small minority (namely Pelham, Atlanta, Decatur, Social Circle, Marietta, Commerce, Dalton, Dublin, Gainesville, Jefferson, Rome, Thomasville, Trion, Valdosta, Vidalia, Bremen, Buford, Calhoun, and Cartersville).
The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) administers public education in the state. The department is administered by an elected State Superintendent of Schools. Local municipalities and their respective school districts operate individual public schools but the GaDOE audits performance of public schools. The GaDOE also makes recommendations to state leaders concerning education spending and policies. [ citation needed ]
The Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission (GNPEC) has statutory responsibilities in matters relating to nonpublic, postsecondary, educational institutions as per O.C.G.A. § 20-3-250 “Nonpublic Postsecondary Educational Institutions Act of 1990.” [1] [2]
The Hechinger Report found in 2020 that since 2014, thirty schools had announced their closing with an email or a notice at the school's entrance. The U.S. Department of Education receives school financial information, but the data may be outdated upon receipt. Accrediting agencies may have more timely data, but are inconsistent in their response. Some state monitoring agencies don't have the ability to closely check financial status. [3] According to the Hechinger Report, the GNPEC does more than many other states. The finances of most institutions are checked by an external auditor prior to reauthorization each year. [3] When Argosy University abruptly closed in March 2019, the GNPEC had funding available to provide tuition refunds. However, Georgia law limits the claims to $250,000 for a defaulting institution. [4] [5] Federal law requires schools in financial trouble to prepare transition plans for existing students. These Teach-out plans are meant to provide students with alternative schools offering equivalent programs. [3] The GNPEC retains student transcript records for shuttered schools, but cannot access detail records that document student work and are necessary when the student transfers. [3]
The mission of the GNPEC "is to ensure that each authorized nonpublic postsecondary educational institution in Georgia is satisfying its commitments to hardworking Georgians through sound academics and financial stability". [6] All in-state nonpublic and out-of-state postsecondary education institutions that want to operate in the State of Georgia must receive authorization from the GNPEC and renew that authorization in subsequent years. Any business in Georgia that wants to include "university" or "college" in its name is required to obtain permission from GNPEC. [7] Even entities that have no physical presence in Georgia are required to be authorized if they offer their programs to Georgia residents. New York and Washington do not. [2]
Georgia ranked 30th in the nation for educational performance, according to Education Week's Quality Counts 2018 report. The state had earned an overall score of 73.0 out of 100 points. On average, the nation received a score of 75.2; meaning the state ranked slightly below average. [8] Georgia posted a C-plus in the Chance-for-Success category, ranking 33rd on factors that contribute to a person's success both within and outside the K-12 education system. Georgia received a mark of D-plus and finished 37th for School Finance. It ranked 11th with a grade of C on the K-12 Achievement Index. [8]
In 2016, Georgia had a high school graduation rate of 80.6%, putting it 41st in the country. [9] Georgia high schools (grades nine through twelve) are required to administer a standardized, multiple choice End of Course Test, or EOC, in each of eight core subjects including Algebra I, Geometry, U.S. History, Economics, Biology, Physical Science, Ninth Grade Literature and Composition, and American Literature and Composition. The official purpose of the tests is to assess "specific content knowledge and skills." Although a minimum test score is not required for the student to receive credit in the course, completion of the test is mandatory. The EOC score comprises 20% of a student's grade in the course. [10] Until 2014, the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) was taken in 1st-8th grade. The CRCT was replaced by the Georgia Milestones end-of-grade exams for the 2014–15 school year. [10]
Through the 2013–14 school year, high school students were also required receive passing scores on four Georgia High School Graduation Tests (GHSGT) and the Georgia High School Writing Assessment in order to receive a diploma. Subjects assessed included Mathematics, Science, Language Arts, and Social Studies. These tests are initially offered during students' eleventh-grade year, allowing for multiple opportunities to pass the tests before graduation at the end of twelfth grade. [11] These exams were replaced with the redesigned end-of-course exams as part of the Georgia Milestones program. [10]
Georgia has 62public colleges, universities, and technical colleges in addition to over 45 private institutes of higher learning.[ citation needed ]
The HOPE Scholarship, funded by the state lottery, was available to all Georgia residents who have graduated from high school with a 3.0 or higher grade point average and who attend a public college or university in the state. The scholarship covers the cost of tuition and provides a stipend for books for up to 120 credit hours. If the student does not maintain a 3.0 average while in college they may lose the scholarship in which case they will have the chance to get it back by bringing their grade point average above a 3.0 within a period of 30 credit hours. This scholarship has had a significant impact on the state university system, increasing competition for admission and increasing the quality of education.[ citation needed ]
In 2011, facing a budget shortfall, the state cut portions of the HOPE scholarship. Bill 326 trimmed scholarships by 90 percent. High school seniors who earn a 3.7 GPA and a 1200 on the SAT will still be able to get a full scholarship, now known as the Zell Miller scholarship, under the new law. Students who previously qualified for HOPE can still receive a scholarship worth 80% of tuition. Current college students are not eligible for the full scholarship amount.[ citation needed ]
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 is a United States federal law that governs the access to educational information and records by public entities such as potential employers, publicly funded educational institutions, and foreign governments. The act is also referred to as the Buckley Amendment, for one of its proponents, Senator James L. Buckley of New York.
The University of West Georgia is a public university in Carrollton, Georgia. The university offers a satellite campus in Newnan, Georgia, select classes at its Douglasville Center, and off-campus Museum Studies classes at the Atlanta History Center in Atlanta, Georgia. A total of 13,238 students, including 10,411 undergraduate and 2,827 graduate, were enrolled as of Fall 2019. The university is also one of four comprehensive universities in the University System of Georgia.
The American University in Dubai (AUD) is a private for-profit university in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It was founded in 1995 and serves UAE nationals and international students with an American-style education.
Bright Futures is a scholarship program in the state of Florida. It is funded by the Florida Lottery and was first started in 1997.
Perimeter College at Georgia State University is a college of Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. Georgia Perimeter College was originally a public community college founded by an Atlanta area county board of education before merging with Georgia State University in 2016 to create one of the largest universities in the United States with over 50,000 students. The Perimeter College (PC) campuses became components of Georgia State University, still maintaining their own mission, degrees, and admittance requirements, separate from those of the main campus. Before merging with GSU, PC served metro Atlanta with five campus locations and offered more than 40 programs of study, including Arts, Music, Theatre, Nursing, Business Administration, Education, Dental Hygiene, Criminal Justice, and Sign Language Interpreting.
The HOPE Program created in 1993 under the supervision of Georgia Governor Zell Miller, is Georgia's scholarship and grant program that rewards students with financial assistance in degree, diploma, and certificate programs at eligible Georgia public and private colleges and universities, and public technical colleges. HOPE is funded entirely by revenue from the Georgia Lottery and is administered by the Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC). The HOPE Scholarship Program has awarded over $14 billion to more than 2.1 million Georgia students since its inception in 1993.
Morris Brown College (MBC) is a private Methodist historically black liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded January 5, 1881, Morris Brown is the first educational institution in Georgia to be owned and operated entirely by African Americans.
The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment system, commonly abbreviated as MCAS, is Massachusetts's statewide standards-based assessment program developed in 1993 in response to the Massachusetts Education Reform Act of the same year. State and federal law mandates that all students who are enrolled in the tested grades and who are educated with Massachusetts public funds participate in MCAS testing.
Education in Kentucky includes elementary school, middle school, high school, and post-secondary institutions. Most Kentucky schools and colleges are accredited through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
The University of Atlanta was a private, for-profit, distance education university headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. It opened in Mobile, Alabama as Barrington University until it received accreditation in 2008. It relocated to Atlanta in 2008 and changed to University of Atlanta and was authorized by the State of Georgia's Nonpublic Post Secondary Education Commission. Until it closed June 30, 2013, the University of Atlanta was accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council.
American Book Company is a textbook and software publishing company. Its main focus is on standardized test preparation materials. It offers books covering language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies tests. The company also produces transparencies, basic review books, and ACT and SAT preparation books.
The Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) were a set of tests administered at public schools in the state of Georgia that are designed to test the knowledge of first through eighth graders in reading, English/language arts (ELA), and mathematics, and third through eighth graders additionally in science and social studies.
Richmont Graduate University is a private Christian university with campuses in Chattanooga, Tennessee and Atlanta, Georgia. It offers Master's degrees and it does so through its School of Counseling and School of Ministry. Richmont's most popular programs include its Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and its Master of Arts in Ministry.
Gwinnett College is a for-profit college with its main campus in Lilburn, Georgia.
Benjamin Franklin Johnson, Jr. was a member of the Georgia State Senate from 1962 to 1969, Dean of the Emory University School of Law from 1961 to 1973, and Dean of the Georgia State University College of Law from 1981 to 1985. He served as a Deputy Attorney General for Georgia from 1955 to 1961.
Beulah Heights University is a not for profit, private institution offering higher education in Atlanta, Georgia. The university was established in 1918 and is accredited to Association for Biblical Higher Education and Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools. Formally, the university was affiliated with the Christian-Interdenominational religion. Beulah Heights is approved by the State of Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission for granting of Associate of Arts (AA), Bachelor of Arts (BA), Master of Arts (MA), Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Divinity (M.Div.), Doctor of Ministry (DMin), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees.
College of Athens (CoA) is a private interdenominational Christian college near Watkinsville, Georgia. It was founded in 2009 as Athens School of Ministry & Worship Arts. The school opened its doors to its first degree-seeking students in Fall 2012. The school was renamed Athens College of Ministry in August of 2015 after receiving authorization from the Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission (GNPEC). In May 2020, ACMin was awarded accredited status from the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS), a CHEA and DOE approved postsecondary accrediting commission, as a Member Institution. In July 2022, Athens College of Ministry officially changed its named to the College of Athens (CoA) in order to facilitate the growth the college is experiencing in offering non-ministry majors. CoA currently offers certificates, associates, bachelors, and master's degrees in nine various major areas.
Drew Van Horn is an American college president and administrator. He is the 23rd president of Young Harris College in Young Harris, Georgia invested in October, 2017. He previously served as President of Brevard College from 2002 through 2011 and a vice president at several other colleges.
