Academic Auditing

The Governor’s Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) serves as the reporting and accountability agency for education in Georgia. As such, it is charged by law (O.C.G.A. §20-14-26) with inspecting academic records of P-16 schools to ensure that education institutions are faithful to performance accountability requirements.

In 2008, the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement launched its academic auditing program as an extension of its statutory role to report student progress and school completion in Georgia’s public schools. Through an academic audit, GOSA reviews student assessment data and other school records reported to the Georgia Department of Education to confirm accuracy and explore the effectiveness of local school initiatives in improving achievement. Valid data are crucial for improvement planning, education policy development, school funding, and determining the performance status of schools.

Education stakeholders with concerns about a Georgia public school or school system that would like GOSA to examine for a potential academic audit should complete and submit the Academic Auditing Referral form.

Reports: As GOSA completes academic audits of schools and local systems, it will make current reports available below for stakeholders.

Academic Auditing

Link	Description
Assessment Audit - 2017-18 School Year	[2019] The Governor’s Office of Student Achievement serves as the reporting and accountability agency for education in Georgia. As such, GOSA is charged by law (O.C.G.A. § 20-14-35 and O.C.G.A. § 20-14-36) with inspecting academic records of schools to ensure that education institutions are faithful to performance accountability requirements.
2023 Assessment Monitoring Report (PDF, 609.9 KB)	The Governor’s Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) serves as the reporting and accountability agency for education in Georgia. As such, GOSA is charged by law (O.C.G.A. § 20-14-35 and O.C.G.A. § 20-14-36) with inspecting academic records of schools to ensure that education institutions are faithful to performance accountability requirements. Through an academic audit, GOSA reviews student assessment data and other school records reported to the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) to confirm accuracy and explore the effectiveness of local school initiatives in improving achievement.
Enrollment Verification Process Overview	[2019] The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) collects enrollment data from all Georgia local education agencies (LEAs) through four main collections: October Full-Time Equivalent (FTE), March FTE, Student Record (Student Record), and Student Class (Student Class). FTE enrollment counts measure how many students are enrolled on the specific count date and are used to determine state education funding allocations.
GaDOE Data Conference Presentation	[2019] Governor's Office of Student Achievement presentation to the GaDOE 2019-2020 Data Conference. Overview of the Georgia Assembly legislative statutes regarding auditing, along with GOSA's structural approach to auditing.
Student Mobility Report (PDF, 362.45 KB) student mobility	[2021] Governor’s Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) calculates student mobility rates for each Georgia public school and school district annually. The school student mobility rate is the percentage of students who entered or withdrew from the school during the school year, and the district student mobility rate is the percentage of students who entered or withdrew from a school within the district during the school year. GOSA calculates rates based on student entry and withdrawal as reported by schools, but it should be noted that schools may have had difficulty reporting student entry and withdrawal during periods of virtual instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis below includes a summary of student mobility rates for the 2020-2021 school year.
Withdrawal Code Verification	[2021] State Board of Education Rule 160-5-1-.28 Student Enrollment and Withdrawal requires all Georgia local education agencies (LEAs) to document reasons for all student withdrawals from Georgia public schools. The Governor’s Office of Student Achievement reports LEAs that do not comply with this requirement to the State Board of Education.
2024 Assessment Audit Process Overview (PDF, 201.52 KB)	The Governor's Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) conducts an annual assessment audit to ensure that all schools and local education agencies (LEAs) administer assessments with fidelity. Through the assessment audit, GOSA also reviews details on the administration of the Georgia Alternate Assessment 2.0 (GAA 2.0), as well as ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS for English Language Learners 2.0 (ACCESS for ELLs 2.0) for audited schools.
2024 Assessment Audit Results (PDF, 472.38 KB)	The Governor’s Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) serves as the reporting and accountability agency for education in Georgia. As such, GOSA is charged by law (O.C.G.A. § 20-14-35 and O.C.G.A. § 20-14-36) with inspecting academic records of schools to ensure that education institutions are faithful to performance accountability requirements. Through an academic audit, GOSA reviews student assessment data and other school records reported to the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) to confirm accuracy and explore the effectiveness of local school initiatives in improving achievement.