Georgia will begin aligning its education standards with 20 other states in the nation. The board of education voted to adopt the national model called Common Core State Standards.

Teachers will begin training on the new English and Math standards next year.

State Superintendent Brad Bryant says the standards will raise the bar on what Georgia educators are already teaching, but it won’t be that much of a shift from the state’s current Georgia Performance Standards.

“I think we have a great track record with our GPS of already being ahead of where a lot of states are in that effort, so for us this may be more of a ‘precision review’ than what some states will have to go through,” says Bryant.

Education officials say about 10 percent of Georgia’s Math and 19 percent of its English curriculum will have to be adjusted.

Although they couldn’t say how much the transition would cost, they say the governor set aside some money for the training in the budget. And if Georgia gets federal Race to the Top money it would help.

In order for states to accept the Race to the Top grant, they must adopt the core standards.

The state’s move to the new standards got broad support from the business community and various education agencies in the state including the University System of Georgia.

Board of Regents Chairman Willis Potts.

“I’m excited because students who can succesfully meet these standards,” says Board of Regents chairman Willis Potts, “will not need learning support or remediation in our institutions.”

Eight percent of higher education students needed remediation last year.

Full implementation of the new standards will begin in the 2011 2012 school year.

Tags: Race to the Top, Common Core Standards, State Superintendent Brad Bryant, Georgia Performance Standards