The Technical College System of Georgia's Adult Education Department and the University of
Georgia (UGA) comprise the state professional development system. The annual statewide
professional development plan is developed by the Adult Education Department staff and led by
the Professional Development Coordinator. Professional Development needs are determined by
National Reporting System guidelines, statewide needs assessments of teachers and administrators
and by review of professional development evaluations of all training sessions. From the above,
statewide professional development is prioritized and the offerings are provided on a state-,
regional- and local-level. In addition, UGA provides access to online professional development,
conducts ongoing electronic research on issues relevant to adult education and warehouses
resources for access by teachers and administrators.
STAR Pilot
In Georgia, eight sites are participating in the project representing the northern, middle
and southern regions. Each program is led by an administrator who oversees the project with
at least two classes devoted to STAR instruction.
Teachers in the project are experienced in teaching, and at least two of the teachers have
advanced training or degrees in reading. All sites have several of their intermediate-level
teachers participating in the training and those who are not assigned STAR classes observe
and provide support to the STAR pilot teachers. The administrators plan to expand their
programs with these additional teachers.