The Berrien County School system uses the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) as the foundation for instruction in all K-12 classrooms. The GSE reflect current educational research and provide clear expectations for instruction, assessment, and student work. They define the level of work that demonstrates achievement of the standards, enabling a teacher to know “how good is good enough.” The performance standards isolate and identify the skills needed to use the knowledge and skills to problem-solve, reason, communicate, and make connections with other information. They also tell the teacher how to assess the extent to which the student knows the material or can manipulate and apply the information. To learn more, visit www.georgiastandards.org.

Resources that are currently used in our K-12 classrooms to help support the GSE in ELA, Math, Science and Social Studies are Saxon Phonics (K-2), My View Literacy (Reading 3-5), My Perspective (Reading 6-12), Comprehensive Reading Solutions/Bookworms (K-5), Reveal Math (K-5), Savvas Math (6-12) and HMH Science (3-8), Gallopade for SS (3-8), and Savvas Social Studies (9-12).

Software/Online programs that are utilized to enhance teacher instruction in K-12 include ABCYa, Accelerated Reader, Brain Pop, Discovery Education, EdPuzzle, Edulastic, Epic, ESpark, Essential Skills, FastBridge, Flocabulary, IXL, Newsela, Prodigy, Read Theory,  ReadWorks, Starfall,  and Study Jams.

The purpose of the Georgia Student Assessment Program is to measure student achievement of the state-adopted content standards and inform efforts to improve teaching and learning.  Results of the assessment program are utilized to identify students failing to achieve​​ mastery of content, to provide teachers with feedback about instructional practice, and to assist school districts in identifying strengths and weaknesses in order to establish priorities in planning educational programs. Students in Kindergarten participate in the GKids 2.0 assessment. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​GKIDS 2.0 is a progression-based formative assessment, integrated into classroom work, that is aligned to the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE). It  provides teachers with one source of real-time information to adjust instruction, by identifying what a student already knows, what the student needs next, and by allowing the teacher to monitor growth. Students in grades 3 through 12 participate in the Georgia Milestones. The end of grade assessments include English Language Arts and Math in 3rd, 4th, 6th, and 7th. Fifth graders are also assessed in Science. Eight graders are assessed in all subjects. Students who are in advanced placement classes at the high school participate in an Advanced Placement Assessment and students in a CTAE pathway participate in that pathway assessment. 

Google Classroom enables teachers to create an online classroom area in which they can manage all the documents that their students need. Google Classroom will be used in all classrooms for students who may get quarantined and throughout the year in the traditional classroom. Google Classroom provides a teacher/student-friendly way of managing classroom documents. It allows students to complete assignments, retrieve announcements, view and edit documents, and participate in live google meets with their teachers. 

Applications that students use with Google Classroom include Pear Deck, Flipgrid, Kami, Jamboard, and Screencastify. 

• Saxon Phonics (K-2)

• My View Literacy (3-5)

• My Perspective (6-12)

• Bookworms (K-5)

• HMH SC (3-8)

• Gallopade SS (3-8)

• Novel Sets (K-12)

• Glencoe Teen Health (6-8)

Shae Shepard - Director of Elementary Education
P: 228.686.2081 Email: Shae Shepard

Selena Dawson - Director of Secondary Education
P: 228.686.2081 Email: Selena Dawson