Georgia Department of Education LEAD staged certification and recognition pilot for whole child education model schools¶
Design · All designs
Evidence · 1 claim (1 mixed) · 1 study (1 qualitative),q2· 0 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study
Description¶
From 2021 to 2023, the Georgia Department of Education piloted a certification and recognition process for community schools implementing a whole child education model. The process recognized schools as they progressed through stages characterized by the acronym LEAD (Learning, Emerging, Achieving, Distinguished), each with benchmarks for structures and processes; later stages expected evidence of integration with the schoolwide improvement plan, impact, and outcomes. The finalized standards and coaching were praised by educators, but the pilot faced capacity challenges and was shut down for consolidation and reorganization.
Design Implications¶
Context¶
Requirements¶
- Sufficient capacity within the certifying agency and completed certification materials, including consensus-defined standards and a rubric, before launch.
Constraints¶
- The pilot faced challenges throughout due to capacity issues within the Department of Education and a rush to begin before certification materials were completed.
Target Learners¶
- K-12 students in Georgia community schools
Learning Goals¶
- staged implementation progress
- whole child education
Claims¶
- Well-implemented community schools improve attendance, behavior, engagement, and academic outcomes, with longer and more sustained implementation associated with more significant outcomes [~M] — why certification tracks implementation stage; not a test of the pilot itself
Related Designs¶
- House the certifying entity within structures that promote alignment, buy-in and sustained funding — the lesson the pilot's shutdown illustrates
- Collaboratively built, lean and flexible certification standards
- Linked Learning Alliance two-tiered certification system — another certification system in the same report
Examples¶
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Key Sources¶
- Germain, E., Maier, A., Espinoza, D., & Oakes, J. (2025). Community schools certification: An approach for implementation. Learning Policy Institute. https://doi.org/10.54300/220.412
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
design |
id |
georgia-doe-lead-certification-pilot |
title |
Georgia Department of Education LEAD staged certification and recognition pilot for whole child education model schools |
description |
From 2021 to 2023, the Georgia Department of Education piloted a certification and recognition process for community schools implementing a whole child education model. |
status |
review |
generated |
by process:settle-candidates on 2026-10-10 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — germain-2025 |
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