SOP_NUMBER: 108.01
TITLE: Education Programs Administration
REFERENCE_CODE: VC01-0001
DIVISION: Inmate Services Division (Education)
TOPIC_AREA: 108 Policy-Education/Vocational Education
EFFECTIVE_DATE: 2025-02-12
WORD_COUNT: 3332
POWERDMS_URL: https://public.powerdms.com/GADOC/documents/106497
URL: https://gps.press/sop-data/108.01/

SUMMARY:
This SOP establishes uniform administrative practices and procedures for the organization, management, and delivery of education programs throughout the Georgia Department of Corrections. It applies to all education staff and facilities and outlines the GDC's comprehensive, holistic approach to correctional education, which includes academic education, career and technical education, higher education, special education, and on-the-job training programs. The policy requires development of individualized program plans for each student and coordination between education programs and other offender services to reduce recidivism and promote successful reentry.

KEY_TOPICS: education programs administration, correctional education, academic instruction, high school diploma, high school equivalency, career technical education, on-the-job training, special education, disabilities education, education program planning, inmate education, offender services, educational assessment, program coordination, student achievement, vocational education

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|GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS<br>Standard Operating Procedures|Col2|Col3|
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|**Policy Name:**Education Programs Administration|**Policy Name:**Education Programs Administration|**Policy Name:**Education Programs Administration|
|**Policy Number:**108.01|**Effective Date:** 02/12/2025|**Page Number:** 1 of 16|
|**Authority:** <br>Commissioner|**Originating Division:** <br>Inmate Services Division<br>(Education)|**Access Listing:**<br>Level I: All Access|



**I.** **Introduction and Summary:**
Uniform administrative practices and procedures are followed for the organization,
management, and delivery of education programs.


**II.** **Authority:**
A. O.C.G.A. §§ 20-2-200; 42-5-57, 42-2-5.2; 42-5-1; 42-5-64; 42-8-35.1, and 42-9
42;

B. Ga. Comp. R. &Regs. 125-4-2-.01; 125-4-2-.04, and 125-4-2-.02;


C. GDC Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): 101.04 Records Management;

107.01 Purpose & Objectives - Access to Counseling Services and Programs;
107.04 Risk and Needs Assessment; 108.05 Post Secondary Education; 108.08
Career Technical Education; 108.11 On-the-Job Training Programs; 108.13
Animal Programs; 206.01 Offender Personal Property Standards; 210.04
Inmate/Probation Boot Camp - Rights and Standards; 215.17 Transitional Center
Resident Programs and Services; 220.03 Classification Committee; and 402.01
Property Determinations and Control; and


D. ACA Standards: 2-CO-5B-01; 5-ACI-7B-01; 5-ACI-7B-05; 5-ACI-7B-06; 5
ACI-7B-07; 5-ACI-7B-09; 5-ACI-7B-11; 5-ACI-7B-12; 5-ACI-7B-14; 5-ACI7B-15; 4-ALDF-5A-02, and 4-ACRS-7D-26.


**III.** **Definitions:**
As used in this SOP, these terms are defined as follows.

A. **Classification Committee**    - A committee designated by the Warden designed to

provide an objective categorization of each offender based on their needs to
assist them in reaching their goals. See SOP 220.03, Classification Committee
for details.


|GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS<br>Standard Operating Procedures|Col2|Col3|
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|**Policy Name:**Education Programs Administration|**Policy Name:**Education Programs Administration|**Policy Name:**Education Programs Administration|
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|**Authority:** <br>Commissioner|**Originating Division:** <br>Inmate Services Division<br>(Education)|**Access Listing:**<br>Level I: All Access|



B. **Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)**    - The federal law which

provides for a free, public education to individuals with disabilities under the age
of 21.

C. **Next Generation Assessment (NGA)**    - GDC’s assessment tool to identify

programming for the offender population.


D. **The State Repository of Information System (SCRIBE)**    - GDC’s official

offender records management system.


**IV.** **Statement of Policy and Applicable Procedures:**
A. Supervision of Education:


1. Education staff is informed about SOPs upon entry into the system and have

easy access to updated policies and procedures throughout their period of
employment.

2. Field and central office staff refer to the philosophy and goal statements

provided below when making decisions regarding:

a. Planning;


b. Scheduling;


c. Staffing;

d. Evaluating;


e. Budgeting;


f. Purchasing;


g. Motivating students;


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h. Providing instruction;


i. Coordinating Academic and Career, Technical, and Higher Education

programs, and


j. Similar concerns.


B. Philosophy:


1. The correctional education program adheres to a holistic philosophy of

education.

2. Education is a necessary component that augments other programmatic

activities provided throughout an offender’s incarceration.


3. Correctional educators believe that helping individuals develop their

cognitive abilities and life skills while providing meaningful employment
skills will help offenders have the ability and desire to choose socially
acceptable behaviors as alternatives to their current lifestyles; and

4. The public will benefit in that better educated, well adjusted, and productive

citizens are less likely to recidivate and more likely to make positive
contributions to society.


C. Goals:


1. To provide an individual program plan for each student.


2. To provide a comprehensive education program and an interdisciplinary link

between:


a. Academic Education;


b. Career Technical Education;


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c. Higher Education;


d. Special Education;


e. On-the-Job Training (OJT) Programs;


f. Skills Training Programs, and


g. Other programmatic activities identified in the Next Generation

Assessment as input for the Classification Committee.

3. The implementation of this comprehensive education program includes the

specific objectives listed below:

a. To identify educational deficiencies and provide instruction that will

enable offenders to raise their reading levels to a minimum of 5th grade
competency (or to the highest-grade level attainable) based on
standardized test results;

b. To provide academic instruction leading to attainment of a High School

Diploma (HSD) or High School Equivalency (HSE);

c. To collect and report data, including offender achievement, in SCRIBE;


d. To provide opportunities to improve communication and social skills;


e. To provide Career, Technical, Higher Education (CTHE) and certified

OJT Programs that equip students with a variety of job skills and abilities
that help ensure success upon completion;


f. To provide appropriate educational services for all offenders with

disabilities in compliance with Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act;


|GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS<br>Standard Operating Procedures|Col2|Col3|
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g. To provide seamless services to offenders who reside in tier, segregation,

or extended segregation;

h. To conduct regular systematic evaluations of student progress and

achievement and to share results with offenders’ counselors and
Classification Committee as required;


i. To provide special recognition for offenders who complete education

programs;


j. To develop and maintain cooperative working relationships with public

and private sector representatives to supplement and complement
education programs, including a plan for the identification and use of
available community resources;


k. To provide staff training activities to enhance and further professional

skills of employees, and


l. To provide technical assistance on education related matters, as available,

to:


i. Transitional Centers;

ii. Integrated Treatment Facilities (ITF);

iii. Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) Centers;

iv. Detention Centers;

v. Boot Camp Facilities;

vi. County Correctional Institutions, and


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vii. Maintain and foster a cooperative relationship with other GDC
work units and outside partners, and to work with all staff in
achieving educational goals.

D. Accreditation Affiliations and Community Development:


1. GDC affiliates with other state agencies and groups interested and involved

in assisting in the provision of education for offenders.

2. GDC affiliates with the Georgia Department of Education in the provision of:


a. Educational grant-related services;


b. Federally mandated education programs for certain age groups, and


c. Other education services.


3. Local Regional Education Service Agencies (RESA) are consulted by local

staff for educational assistance as needed.

4. Academic and CTHE personnel are certified by a state department of

education or other comparable authority.


a. Academic and CTHE possess appropriate degree or certificate, and


b. Academic and CTHE staff are required to attend mandatory trainings.


5. GDC enters into written agreements with the Technical College System of

Georgia (TCSG), local technical colleges, and other post-secondary partners
for certifying:

a. Career Technical Education;


b. Higher Education;


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|**Policy Name:**Education Programs Administration|**Policy Name:**Education Programs Administration|**Policy Name:**Education Programs Administration|
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|**Authority:** <br>Commissioner|**Originating Division:** <br>Inmate Services Division<br>(Education)|**Access Listing:**<br>Level I: All Access|



c. OJT Programs, and


d. Skills Training Programs.


E. Evaluation:


1. Academic and CTHE programs are evaluated system-wide on an on-going

basis.

2. Elements of programs that are evaluated include but are not limited to:


a. The process for identifying appropriate offenders for placement in a

program;

b. The number of students identified who need educational services;


c. The method for assigning and scheduling students to appropriate classes

within the master schedule education time blocks. OJT Programs will be
scheduled to match the offenders’ work detail schedule;


d. The number of students assigned to each class;


e. The number of students attending each class as noted on the master

schedule;


f. The quantity of students served in relation to capacity and need;


g. The progress or achievement of students, including completion rates for

courses for HSD and HSE Test completions as determined by GDC’s
Central Office, and

h. Educator performance such as:


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|**Policy Name:**Education Programs Administration|**Policy Name:**Education Programs Administration|**Policy Name:**Education Programs Administration|
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|**Authority:** <br>Commissioner|**Originating Division:** <br>Inmate Services Division<br>(Education)|**Access Listing:**<br>Level I: All Access|



i. Adherence to policy;

ii. Increase in performance level of students;


iii. Completion rates of students, and


iv. Communication with offender’s counselor and Classification

Committee regarding offender needs and performance, and the
effective use of resources, staff, space, budget, etc.


3. On-site program reviews by regional and Central Office staff are conducted

as assigned.

F. Record Keeping:


1. The Deputy Warden of Care and Treatment or Chief Counselor, if

designated, is responsible for:

a. Education on-site supervision;


b. Maintains monthly records;


c. Cumulative records;


d. Financial records, and


e. Staff-related records in cooperation with education personnel.


2. The student's permanent record (major documents related to each student's

involvement in education programs at the institution) is maintained in the
designated location or education office files at the institution:

a. This file is separate from the student's daily class file kept by the educator

in the school;


|GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS<br>Standard Operating Procedures|Col2|Col3|
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|**Policy Name:**Education Programs Administration|**Policy Name:**Education Programs Administration|**Policy Name:**Education Programs Administration|
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|**Authority:** <br>Commissioner|**Originating Division:** <br>Inmate Services Division<br>(Education)|**Access Listing:**<br>Level I: All Access|



b. Information in these files is secured and is accessible only to GDC

employees, and

c. In the event there is information regarding CTHE programming in these

files, that information shall be accessible to the appropriate contract staff
as approved by the Director of Academic Education and the Director of
CTHE.

3. All Academic Education test scores and any performance notes should be

recorded in SCRIBE within five (5) days.

4. When an offender is transferred to another institution, the offender's

education file shall be mailed or transported to the designated education
office at the receiving institution within ten (10) days of notification of
transfer.


a. Permanent education records are submitted to the respective facility’s

records clerk after parole or discharge.

b. School financial records are maintained by on-site supervisors, and the

Academic Education Department maintains budget documentation.


5. Each Deputy Warden of Care and Treatment or designated Chief Counselor

maintains or has readily accessible copies of the following reports and
provides copies to Academic Education instructors for their records

a. Budget allocations;


b. Expenditures;


c. Receiving reports, and


|GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS<br>Standard Operating Procedures|Col2|Col3|
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|**Authority:** <br>Commissioner|**Originating Division:** <br>Inmate Services Division<br>(Education)|**Access Listing:**<br>Level I: All Access|



d. Inventories related to all sources of funds used for education services at

the respective institution.

6. Supply and materials files are maintained for one (1) year, and equipment

files are maintained for the life of the equipment, including records of
equipment purchased with federal funds.

7. Academic Education programs will send budget and other required reports to

regional education staff.


8. The designated on-site supervisor is responsible for conducting monthly

meetings with Academic Education and CTHE staff.

a. Records of meetings (i.e., sign in sheet, minutes, etc.) are kept and stored

in education and sent via email to regional education staff.

9. For those instructors who are certified or who are required to hold a valid

current certificate, copies of teaching certificates are kept in the Personnel
Office.

G. Instructors are responsible for obtaining and maintaining certification through

Central Office requirements, including all associated fees and courses involved
with certification programs.

1. Copies of contracts and cooperative agreements that pertain to education

services are maintained by the education staff (Examples are annual
agreements with technical colleges, state colleges or universities related to
services provided at the facility); and

2. Regional Academic Education staff provides input on GDC performance for

educators to Deputy Wardens of Care and Treatment for annual evaluation
through the Professional Development Plan.


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|**Authority:** <br>Commissioner|**Originating Division:** <br>Inmate Services Division<br>(Education)|**Access Listing:**<br>Level I: All Access|



3. Regional CTHE staff provide input on GDC instructor and other contract

staff performance to the Deputy Warden of Care and Treatment and/or the
appropriate contract supervisor.

H. Procurement Procedures:


1. All expenditures involving federal funds must have prior approval from the

Director of Academic Education, expenditures involving Perkins funds must
have prior approval from the Director of CTHE.

2. Inventories are maintained per relevant state and federal guidelines; and


3. Equipment left at a site after termination of a federally funded education

program is transferred as directed by regional and Central Office to sites that
continue the same program.

I. Student Identification and Assignment, Enrollment and Scheduling, and

Attendance and Performance:

1. Identification and Assignment for Academic Education:


a. All offenders’ educational needs should be identified through regional

and Central Office staff-approved testing, and appropriate course
assignments based on those identified needs.

b. It is the responsibility of the offender’s counselor to review the file during

intake as well as to make recommendations to the Classification
Committee for testing.

c. Facility education staff will designate appropriate placement after testing

has been completed.


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d. For diagnostic facilities, diagnostic offenders may be assigned directly to

education and do not require classification action.

e. All students entering the academic program with educational testing

scores obtained within six (6) months of entering the academic program
should be automatically placed in the appropriate class.


f. Once needs are specifically identified they should be entered into the

SCRIBE database to capture all educational needs for the facility.


i. It is from this database that appropriate offender assignments will be

made to testing and/or to specific educational placements.

ii. Offenders arriving from Diagnostics should be referred to educational

testing to determine placement;


iii. Offenders arriving from transferring facilities should be rescheduled

to their most current and active course within ten (10) days or placed
on a waiting list for such course, and


iv. A waiting list must be maintained and reviewed by the educational

staff to meet the program capacity.


g. The Classification Committee will make the assignment to testing/class

based on:

i. The offender release date;


ii. Facility education staff;


iii. Counselor recommendations;


iv. Educational waiting list, and


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v. Current resources.





2. Enrollment and Scheduling for Academic Education:


a. The Deputy Warden of Care and Treatment, in conjunction with the

regional education staff, determines the number of classes and master
schedule education time blocks in which classes are provided.

b. Facilities must maintain a minimum enrollment of eighty-five percent

(85%) or ninety percent (90%) of determined program capacity.


i. The number and times of classes scheduled is based on the following:


(A) The facility level of need determined by educational testing

results;

(B) The waiting list, and


(C) Current resource allocations such as space availability and staffing

levels.


ii. Expected enrollment is determined by facility space, and availability

of resources in conjunction with regional education staff;

iii. If space permits, classes should house between fifteen (15) and

twenty-five (25) students as determined in conjunction with regional
education staff;


iv. Enrollment in classes is reviewed and modified on a quarterly basis

with the Master Calendar;


v. Modifications are made based on changing offender needs and

resources at the facility;


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vi. Every attempt should be made by the Classification Committee to

have a full enrollment in each class for each quarter;

vii. GDC resource allocations will be made based on facility needs and

enrollment levels, and


viii. When offenders have full day work assignments, flexible scheduling

and alternative learning opportunities will be made available.

3. Identification, Assignment, Enrollment, and Scheduling for CTHE:


a. The Classification Committee shall ensure full enrollment of all CTHE

classes and programs.

b. Please see the appropriate CTHE SOPs for specific requirements: SOP

108.05 (Post Secondary Education); 108.08 (Career Technical
Education); 108.11 (On-the-Job Training Programs), and 108.13 (Animal
Programs).


4. Attendance and Performance:


a. Students are enrolled per established priorities including consideration

given to:

i. The length of sentence;


ii. The release date, and


iii. Pardons and Paroles’ Education Pre-Release stipulations.

b. All students enrolled in any class or educational activity are expected to

attend all assigned activities.

c. Absence from any educational activity is reported to designated staff no

later than ten (10) minutes after program start time.


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d. Each facility must maintain a minimum of eighty-five (85%) percent

attendance of the enrolled students in all Academic Education classes to
meet the daily attendance requirement.


i. Only medical and court appointments are considered excused

absences.

ii. All other absences will be considered unexcused and count against the

student’s attendance and the facility’s average daily attendance.


iii. Documented lockdowns and medical quarantines will not count

against average daily attendance; Weekly attendance reports contain
real numbers without inclusion of excused absences as this report
tracks actual students served.


e. Designated educational staff monitors student performance with an

emphasis placed on student progress towards established goals.

f. It is the responsibility of educational staff to facilitate student

performance improvement and program completions.


5. Technology in the Classroom:


a. Many classrooms and laboratories are equipped with various types of

technology.

b. Technology that is used daily by students needs to be checked out from

teachers/instructors as appropriate and returned at the conclusion of class.

c. Missing technology shall be reported to appropriate facility security staff

immediately.


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6. Program Completion:


a. Facilities must maintain a minimum program completion rate as specified

by Regional and Central Office education staff and submit this
information monthly.

b. Each annual completion rate will be determined by Regional and Central

Office education staff and reviewed annually; and


c. Assignment and instructional modifications may be made based on

completion rate.


**V.** **Attachments:**
None.


**VI.** **Record Retention of Forms Relevant to this Policy:**
Documents relating to recording Academic Education of individual students in state
correctional institutions shall be retained for five (5) years. Documents relating to
CTHE will be kept in accordance with the appropriate CTHE policy. (See Georgia
Archives - State Agency Specific Retention Schedules).