Coastal Plains RESA

Dear Coastal Plains RESA Community,

As we embark on another exciting season of learning and growth, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for the dedication and passion each of you brings to education. Our region continues to demonstrate resilience, innovation, and commitment to student success, and I am proud to witness the impact of our collective efforts.

At Coastal Plains RESA, we are steadfast in our mission to support educators and school leaders by providing high-quality professional learning, instructional resources, and technical assistance. This year, we are introducing several new initiatives aimed at enhancing instructional effectiveness and student achievement. From expanded literacy programs to innovative technology integration strategies, we are committed to equipping our educators with the tools they need to thrive in the ever-evolving landscape of education.

Collaboration remains at the heart of our work. By fostering strong partnerships among school districts, community organizations, and stakeholders, we can create a more dynamic and responsive educational environment. I encourage you to take advantage of the many professional learning opportunities, networking events, and resources available through Coastal Plains RESA.

As we move forward, let us continue to inspire and uplift one another in our shared mission of empowering students for success. Thank you for your unwavering dedication to education. I look forward to another year of progress, achievement, and meaningful impact.

Wes Taylor

Executive Director

GAPSC is offering the School Safety & Anti-Gang (SSAG) Endorsement. This endorsement is a free opportunity for those working in school districts. It consists of 16 online trainings and 4 in-person trainings. Topics addressed include de-escalation, mental health awareness, gang prevention, active shooter response, and more. CPRESA plans to work with GAPSC and GEMA to host the in-person trainings. Click here for more information.

Regina Purvis

Professional Learning Director

Deadlines

• Young Georgia Authors Competition: Make sure winning entries for your district are submitted to RESA via shared drive by February 20. This is a fantastic opportunity for our young writers to showcase their talent and creativity.

• Poster Submissions: Posters are due to RESA by March 27. Posters will be posted in the Valdosta Mall, April 14-20 and Tifton Mall, April 21-27. This is a great chance to publish the amazing writing that is happening in our schools!

If you did not pick up your posters from last year, we have them at our RESA office.

ELA Standards Tour 2024-2025

ELA Phase I began back in October, bringing together over 170 participants in Kindergarten through twelfth grade. The primary focus of this phase was to introduce the new standards and provide an overview of the layout. Participants also learned how to effectively navigate and utilize resources available on the CPRESA website under ELA Services. (Please use this page to find resources and standards the easy way!)

Phase II took place in December, facilitated by GaDOE ELA Specialists. This phase focused on the Foundations and Language Domains, delving deeper into what these areas entail. On February 5th and 6th we completed Phase III of our ELA Tour. GaDOE took time sharing more resources, GMAS information and highlighting the Text and Practices Domain.

WE WANT YOU for ELA Phase IV !

We're looking ahead to ELA Phase IV in March, and we want YOU and your teachers to be a part of it! If you have ideas or insights you'd like to share during this PL, please don't hesitate to reach out to me. Your contributions are invaluable, and when we share ideas with each other, it makes us better teachers.

Call or email me if you need me or if you have any questions.

Jenni Anderson, ELA Specialist

ENGAGING IN DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF HIGH SCHOOL CONTENT AND PEDAGOGY TO INCREASE STUDENT UNDERSTANDING

Mathematics professional learning courses have been released within Georgia Learns. This course is the first course of a multi-course professional learning series that focuses on helping teachers develop a deep understanding of mathematics content and pedagogy. Participants will take a closer look at the course’s grade level/course standards through engaging activities and professional learning videos. These courses are now available for grades K-8, Algebra:

Concepts and Connections, and Geometry: Concepts and Connections. We encourage all teachers to engage with these courses to support the implementation of Georgia’s K-12 Mathematics Standards with fidelity.

MATHEMATICS PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

There are several mathematics professional learning opportunities coming up and available for registration. Navigate to the GaDOE Professional Learning Catalog and select Mathematics to view all the ways to engage in the learning opportunities.

BUILDING BLOCKS OF UNDERSTANDING: EXPLORING ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICS PROGRESSIONS IN GEORGIA'S K12 STANDARDS

Join the GaDOE Mathematics Team to take a closer look into Elementary Mathematics Learning Progressions. This three-part virtual series is beneficial for classroom teachers, special education teachers, instructional coaches, and curriculum leaders connecting to support student growth across K-5 using learning progressions. Participants will be able to explore evidence-based teaching strategies and practical applications to engage students as critical thinkers and creative problem solvers.

IMPORTANT DATES TO CONSIDER

- MATHCON and CSCON is June 24-26 at Gas South Convention Center in Duluth, GA. There is now a registration fee of $150 to attend. Please fill out the interest form so they can determine how many presenters they will need for the different grade bands or grade level classes.

- The National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics in Atlanta. The dates are Oct 13 - 15 at the Marriott Marquis.

- The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics in Atlanta. The dates are Oct 15 - 18 at the World Conference Center.

- Georgia Council of Supervisors of Mathematics (Fall Meeting) is at Rock Eagle Oct. 22.

- Georgia Council of Teachers of Mathematics is at Rock Eagle Oct 22 - 24.

Latonya Mitchell, Math Specialist

Prompt Design is the process of designing precise instructions to guide Artificial Intelligence models like ChatGPT to generate the most useful responses in the shortest amount of time.

Here are a few tips:

1. Be Clear and Specific, avoiding ambiguous or broad language to minimize misinterpretation. Example: Less effective: "Explain physics." More effective: "Explain the laws of motion as defined by Newton, with examples for each law.”

2. Provide Context such as details about the task, audience, or format. Example: "Write a business email to a company requesting a price quote for school supplies.”

3. Use Explicit Instructions to reduce the risk of irrelevant output. Example: "Summarize this article in three bullet points." "Translate this text into French: How are you?”

4. Specify a Role, Tone, or Perspective if needed. Example: “Act as a medical expert and explain the symptoms of glaucoma.” “Write in a formal and professional tone suitable for a job application.”

5. Break Down Complex Tasks into smaller, manageable parts. Example: "Step 1: Explain the causes of climate change. Step 2: Discuss its impacts on agriculture.”

6. Provide Examples to illustrate what you're looking for. Example: "Create a short poem like this: The sky so blue, the breeze so light, / A perfect day turns into night.”

7. Specify Output Format such as bullet points, tables, code, etc. Example: “List the pros and cons of renewable energy in a table.”

8. Add Constraints like word limits or specific styles. Example: "Write a 50-word summary of this news article.”

9. Run and Refine Your Prompt, analyze the output, and refine it for better results. Example: If results are too general, add more details to focus the response.

10. Requesting Sources is always a good idea on any prompt.

Bobby Smith, School Improvement Specialist

Coastal Plains RESA, in collaboration with South GLRS and Okefenokee RESA, recently hosted a Special Education Directors Retreat at Jekyll Island. The retreat, held February 5-7, 2025, provided special education leaders from Districts 17 and 18 with valuable professional learning, collaboration, and networking opportunities.

The event kicked off with a virtual session by Moshe Fried, introducing ClasStars and followed by a warm welcome from Dane Heard and Roxie Tumlin. The morning continued with an inspiring keynote from Jade Gordon, who led a session on the Power of Positive Leadership, emphasizing strategies to foster a positive and resilient mindset in special education leadership.

The afternoon featured Darren Bagley-Heath, who provided a heartfelt perspective on Navigating Raising Children with Special Needs from a Parent's Point of View. Shauwan Carter then guided directors through LEA Determinations, ensuring a deep understanding of compliance and performance indicators. The day wrapped up with interactive team activities focused on communication, prioritization, and collaboration.

Day two began with Lindsay Hopkins, who delivered an insightful presentation on Dyslexia: Shifting Our Focus from Diagnosis to Instruction, emphasizing effective literacy interventions. Dr. Charity Roberts, State Special Education Director, followed with a session on Foundational Literacy, guiding leaders through a schoolwide analysis of discrete reading skills.

The afternoon featured Dr. Jenny Barnes and Roxie Tumlin, who presented Nine Big Ideas for Developing the Master Schedule and Special Education Scheduling Tasks, adapted from J. O'Conner. The day concluded with Shauwan Carter providing essential GADOE Updates to keep directors informed of the latest state policies and expectations.

The retreat concluded on Friday with a powerful session led by Dr. Baker Wright, who provided thought-provoking insights and strategies for enhancing special education programs. Finally, Roxie Tumlin and Dane Heard led a wrap-up discussion, answering questions and reinforcing key takeaways from the retreat.

This three-day event provided directors with the tools, strategies, and connections needed to enhance their leadership and advocacy for students with disabilities. The collaboration between RESAs, state leaders, and district directors ensures continued support for high-quality special education services across the region.

Dane Heard, GLRS Director

Amber Stevens, GLRS Specialist

teachinthepeach.org

GaMTSS Overview & Spotlight Program Discussion – Join Us!

Join us for an informative and engaging GaMTSS overview meeting on February 13, from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM in the RESA auditorium. We are excited to welcome Dr. Kiley Thompson from GaDOE, who will provide valuable insights into Georgia’s Multi-Tiered System of Supports (GaMTSS) and the new FOCUS webpage. In addition, a representative from Spotlight by Infinite Campus will share how this program enhances student discipline support and data-driven decision-making. We’ll also hear firsthand from a portion of the Irwin Middle School GaMTSS (SPDG) team (Jami Willis and Cornelia Billingsley) as they reflect on their experiences in the Year 1 GaMTSS Cohort—offering practical takeaways for schools implementing MTSS or considering applying for the GaMTSS grant. This is a fantastic opportunity for educators and administrators to learn, collaborate, and ask questions in an informal setting. Lunch will be provided.

GaMTSS and SPDG

The Georgia Multi-Tiered System of Supports (GaMTSS) is a data-driven, multi-level prevention system designed to meet the needs of the whole child by implementing a continuum of tiered supports for academics, behavior, and well-being. The State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG) has a specific focus on leveraging GaMTSS to improve student outcomes in adolescent literacy, including students with disabilities. The focus of GaMTSS and SPDG is to help districts and schools achieve their vision, mission, and improvement goals by organizing all they do to support students and staff into one highly effective system. Selected districts and schools will receive professional learning, technical assistance, and formal coaching during a three-year cohort using a cascading support model that is provided by GaMTSS Program Specialists. No grant funds are awarded with these applications. All Georgia public school districts are eligible to apply. Grant applications close on February 14, at 5:00p.m. Click here to apply.

School Social Workers & Counselors Job-Alike: Identifying Early Warning Indicators in Student Mental Health

Join us on February 26, from 9:00 – 11:30 AM in the RESA auditorium for a specialized job-alike session designed for school social workers and counselors. We are honored to host Chris Owens, a 40+ year veteran officer and trainer, who will share his extensive expertise on early warning indicators for students experiencing mental health concerns.

This session will provide practical strategies and critical insights to help identify and support students in need, equipping you with knowledge to enhance your school’s intervention efforts. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from an experienced professional, engage in meaningful discussion, and strengthen your ability to support student well-being.

Molly Hudgens- Saving Sycamore: The School Shooting that Never Happened

On September 28, 2016, Molly Hudgens, a school counselor in Pleasant View, Tennessee, averted a school shooting when a fourteen-year-old eighth grader, armed with a semi-automatic handgun and an additional magazine of ammunition, came to her in the counseling department at Sycamore Middle School with a plan to harm people on their campus. He told her, “I think you’re the only person who can talk me out of this.” After ninety minutes of talking and ultimately praying with the young man on her knees beside him, Hudgens was able to convince the student to relinquish the weapon to her with no shots fired and no lives lost. As a result of her intervention, Hudgens became a 2017 recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s Citizens Honor for a single act of heroism. On Wednesday, March 26, from 9:00-11:00, Okefenokee RESA will host Molly Hudgens as she shares and dissects the events of September 28 while sharing the importance of early warning mental health indicators. Breakout sessions with school counselors will also be held at this event.

SCHOOL CLIMATE SURVEY

March 31, 2025: The school climate survey window closes at 11:59 p.m., all URLs and QR codes will be inactivated, and no extensions to this deadline will be granted.

Tammy Sellers, School Climate Specialist

Scott Haskins, School Climate Specialist

W.G. Nunn Professional Learning Day

Dane Heard, GLRS Director, at CPRESA, hosted a workshop for teachers at W.G. Nunn Elementary School on January 29, 2025. The morning was spent providing co-teaching, SDI, and IEP training to the SPED and General Ed co-teaching teams. During the afternoon session, Dane assisted the teams on developing and collaborating on lesson plans that incorporate specially designed instruction for students with disabilities, including what co-teaching models they will use with each daily lesson.

CCRPI Data Workshop

On February 5, 2025, Bobby Smith provided a CCRPI data workshop for Valdosta City School district personnel, school administrators, and academic coaches. The focus of the workshop was how the CCRPI components are specific to each school. All school teams had an opportunity to review their recent CCRPI scores. Also, strategies and tips were shared with administrators on ways to monitor their CCRPI progress throughout the year.

Creacy Sermons, School Climate Specialist

Gene Christie, School Climate Specialist

Click here to join.

• Special Ed Coordinators Job-Alike 2/25/2025
• School Counselors & Social Workers Job-Alike 2/26/2025
• TPRP Year 2 3/3/2025
• Special Ed Directors Job-Alike 3/4/2025
• Job Fair & HR Directors Job-Alike 3/5/2025
• Universal Screener Showcase 3/10/2025
• PLC for Induction Level Leaders 3/10/2025
• Assistant Principals Job-Alike 3/12/2025
• New ELA Standards 6-12 3/13/2025
• New ELA Standards K-5 3/19/2025

• New ELA Standards K-5 3/20/2025 (repeat session)