The Governor's Office of Student Achievement (OSA) is the new name for the former Office of Education Accountability (OEA) that was established July 1, 2000 by the state law known as the A Plus Education Act. While our name has changed, the OSA mandate still focuses on:

     Improving student achievement
     Improving school completion

To achieve these goals, OSA's major purpose is the establishment of performance-based accountability standards for all of Georgia's education system, from prekindergarten through postsecondary grades (P-16). OSA also has responsibility for development of reports focusing on education workforce issues.

As part of this mission, OSA is proud to present its second annual report on the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GAPSC). The GAPSC has the full responsibility for the preparation, certification, and conduct of the certified, licensed, or permitted personnel employed in the public schools of the state of Georgia. Its mission is "to provide a qualified teacher in every classroom by setting and applying high standards for the preparation, certification, and continued licensing of Georgia public educators." To learn more about the GAPSC and teacher certification in Georgia, visit: http://www.gapsc.com/

2002-2003 Report Card:

This report card on GAPSC focuses on two indicators: the pass rates on the Praxis I and the pass rates on the Praxis II exams. These exams are used to ensure that individuals who are certified as educators in Georgia are qualified by showing mastery of basic skills and specific content for their teaching field. Data are reported as provided to OSA by GAPSC.

Pass Rates on the Praxis I

The GAPSC uses the Praxis I tests of mathematics, reading, and writing to assess the basic skills of individuals seeking certification. As of March 1, 1999 candidates seeking teacher certification in Georgia had to pass all three tests. Praxis I is considered a pre-professional skills test. The GAPSC sets the passing scores on the Praxis I exam.

Individuals who hold or have held clear renewable certification, are not required to take Praxis I. Basically individuals who must pass the Praxis I exams fall into three categories:

• Undergraduate students seeking admission to college of education programs;
• Individuals with undergraduate degrees but seeking certification;
• Individuals holding provisional certification.

However, not all individuals seeking certification need to take the Praxis I exam. If individuals have earned a qualifying score on certain tests, then they are exempt from the Praxis I requirement. Candidates recommended for certification by Georgia institutions must have either a passing score on the Praxis I exam in reading, mathematics, and writing or have earned qualifying scores on any of the following tests:

• SAT: minimum score Verbal: 480; Mathematics: 520,
• GRE: minimum score Verbal: 490; Quantitative: 540, or
• ACT: minimum score English: 21; Mathematics: 22.

OSA reports the 2002-2003 pass rates on the Praxis I for public and private post-secondary institutions with which the examinees have identified themselves as attending. The pass rates are presented for all examinees as well as disaggregated by race/ethnicity and by gender.

Pass Rates on the Praxis II

GAPSC also uses the Praxis II exams to ensure that Georgia educators are well versed in their teaching field(s). To be recommended for licensure, a person must earn satisfactory scores on the Praxis II Subject Assessments in the appropriate subject area(s) for the certification sought. Currently there are 58 Praxis II subject area tests. For a complete listing of tests and their passing scores for licensure, check out the GAPSC website: http://www.gapsc.com/.

For each public and private post-secondary institution offering a teacher preparation program, OSA reports an overall Praxis II pass rate. OSA also includes for each individual institution the pass rates on the specific content exams taken this past year. OSA offers the user the ability to compare institutional pass rates on a specific content exam. Pass rate data for all examinees are presented as well as for disaggregations on the basis of race/ethnicity and of gender. It should be noted that the listing of exams by institution varies depending upon whether that institution offers teacher preparation in that area of certification and upon whether an institution had any student ready to exit their program and seek certification.