Welcome to the Student Support Team Association for Georgia Educators

    President’s Message

     Welcome to our new SSTAGE website with more information and resources for our members!

    This 2011-12 school year will continue to be one of great economic challenge for school districts in Georgia.  There are a number of schools and districts who have made significant progress in all things, including RTI, in spite of diminished budgets, increased class sizes and teacher layoffs.   SSTAGE advocates for best practices by recognizing the schools and the systems that are leading the way in implementing RTI processes to improve the achievement and behavior of all students.  SSTAGE is proud to announce the 2011 recipients of the SSTAGE Star Award for Promising Practices.  A well-deserved congratulations to:

    • Lincoln County School System (System Level Award)
    • Little Mill Middle School, Forsyth County (Secondary Level Award)
    • Liberty Elementary School, Cherokee County (Elementary Level Award)

    Through collaboration with the Georgia Department of Education, the winners of the SSTAGE Star Award for Promising Practices will each be featured on ElluminateLive! sessions planned for this fall in addition to two exceptional finalists: the Clayton County School System and Ware County High School.  We look forward to the GaDOE showcasing of the 2011 winners and two finalists in the near future.  We will notify all members by email when the presentations are scheduled

    SSTAGE has a very dedicated board and several active committees that support our mission and vision.  This past year, several SSTAGE members participated on the Professional Standards Commission Task Force to update the SST Coordinator Standards for the SST endorsement.  The final standards are expected to be approved in September or October.  To the best of our knowledge, there are no other states with a similar endorsement and SSTAGE is very excited about the possibilities this will bring for support of SST Chairs and the students of Georgia.

    We are pleased to report that the GaDOE will update the state’s SST and RTI guides.  SSTAGE Communications Co-Chair and former GaDOE Psych. Services & SST Specialist, Frank Smith, will lead that effort with several SSTAGE members participating on the committee.   

    In planning for each year, how do we determine what conference themes and workshops topics  to present?  SSTAGE is driven by the needs shared by its members.  Requests shared from the January Best Practices conference included:  planning for enrichment; more networking opportunities; progress monitoring; and sessions on math and legal issues, to highlight just a few suggestions.  Our upcoming Fall Conference will focus on the theme of progress monitoring and will include workshops on academic and behavioral progress monitoring, goal setting, and fidelity of interventions.  Regional meetings and workshops led by your Region Representatives may also be a focus this year as well.  SSTAGE will continue to strive to support schools and systems through innovative and relevant workshops.

    We encourage you to attend our Fall Conference, January Best Practices Conference, regional workshops, and one-day workshops.  As a SSTAGE member, we strive to provide you with opportunities to build your leadership capacity and learn more about how SST can improve data driven decision-making to meet the challenges and requirements of RTI. We encourage you to become involved in SSTAGE as a committee member, a Board member, as a presenter at a future conference, or as the author of an impactful suggestion!  Your input and suggestions are vital to the quality of support SSTAGE provides for you.

    As the 2011 president of SSTAGE, I acknowledge and appreciate all of your hard work and commitment to excellence as leaders for change and for the daily sacrifices you make to support the students of Georgia.  I hope to see you soon at a SSTAGE event and welcome your continued participation in SSTAGE.

    Donna Major, Ph.D.

    SSTAGE President

    		 We appreciate and invite your active membership in our SSTAGE organization.