Kathy Cox enlists the help of Africa specialists in fixing the state's sixth- and seventh-grade social studies programs. CLICK HERE to watch her discuss the need to get kids interested in other cultures, particularly Africa.

Still reeling from the results of low test scores by Georgia's tens of thousands of sixth- and seventh-graders on this year's mandatory social studies test, State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox pleaded for input from authorities on Africa attending the Teach Africa program at the Southern Center for International Studies June 24.

Ms. Cox threw out the results of the social studies portion of the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test once she learned that 70 to 80 percent of the sixth- and seventh-graders had failed the exam.

The exam was part of an ongoing curriculum revision launched earlier in the decade in hopes that more in-depth instruction would lead to higher test scores and to determine whether schools have met goals set by the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

Unlike tests taken by eighth graders, there was no consequence to the results for the sixth- and seventh- graders who advance to the next grade no matter what the scores. Their scores also aren't considered in determining whether schools meet federal standards.

Teach Africa is designed to provide teachers and students access to institutions and individuals including diplomats, artists and experts about African history and culture.

The Atlanta-based Southern Center for International Studies is partnering with the African Society of the National Summit on Africa and Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership on the program, which is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development. 

The Southern Center is to launch an initiative in September with a K-12 teach workshop to introduce new materials and methodologies.

Speakers at the event besides Ms. Cox included John Donaldson, acting director for international affairs, The World Bank; Helene Gayle, president, CARE; Gail Ifshin, executive director, Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership; Bernadette Paolo, president and CEO, The Africa Society and Andrew Young, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and mayor of Atlanta.

Ms. Cox supported the new worldwide perspective of the social studies program and said that students should know about every region of the world.

"The technical standards and tests were aligned, but they didn't relate to what was going on in the classroom," she added.

School officials were redesigning the entire program, she said, so that the test would be more in keeping with the materials covered in class.

Ms. Cox also was enthusiastic about the future of social studies and welcomed advice on how to use new multimedia capabilities to enrich the school curriculums.

The Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership and the Coca-Cola Africa Foundation are collaborating to increase educational opportunities for children and communities across Africa.

During the past decade, the Discovery Channel has established learning centers in six African countries, and the prospects of providing virtual classroom experiences for both African and Georgian students were discussed.