Governor Perdue appoints Reichrath as Director of the Office of Student Achievement

Atlanta - Governor Sonny Perdue announced today that Martha Ross Reichrath, Ph.D. will be the new Executive Director of the Office of Student Achievement (OSA). OSA was formerly known as the Office of Educational Accountability. Upon approval by the Education Coordinating Council (ECC), Governor Perdue, as Chairman of the ECC, will sign an order directing the change and maintaining the former name for formal functions only.

“Student achievement must be the focus of Georgia’s educational system and the role of accountability is to ensure that all students are achieving at higher and higher levels,” said Governor Sonny Perdue. “Dr. Reichrath will lead this office with student achievement as the ultimate measure of success. Her extensive experience and background, particularly her efforts in turning around Chamblee High School, demonstrate that she is an excellent and accomplished educator. Dr. Reichrath led Chamblee High School to recognition as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 1995.”

The ECC exercises supervision and oversight over OSA and the Governor appoints the Executive Director of OSA. OSA was created to establish and require high levels of student achievement, develop a state-wide mentoring program that enhances student achievement and to develop accountability systems that measure student achievement, analyze such measurements, and provide such analyses to the public. Going forward, OSA will continue to manage the state’s accountability programs as well as Georgia’s compliance with federal education programs under the No Child Left Behind Act.

A brief biography is provided below.

Martha Ross Reichrath, Ph.D., 57, Norcross, Georgia – Reichrath has served as a teacher, assistant elementary school principal, elementary principal, junior high principal, and high school principal in the DeKalb County School System. Since 2002, she has been the Associate Superintendent/Senior Executive Director for the DeKalb County School System. From 1998-2002, she served as DeKalb County School System’s Assistant Superintendent/Area Executive Director. From 1991 to 1998, she was Principal of Chamblee High School. In 1995, Chamblee High School was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. Reichrath holds an undergraduate degree from Mankato State University as well as a masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction and a doctorate in Educational Administration from Georgia State University. Reichrath serves on the Communities That Care Advisory Board, the Marriott Foundation- Bridges Advisory Board, Leadership DeKalb, and is a member of the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders, and the National Association of Secondary School Principals. She has also served on the Georgia Governor’s P-16 Council, the State Superintendent’s Educational Advisory Council, the Task Force on Preparing Students for Success in Postsecondary Education in the Workplace, and as a National Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence site evaluator. She has been honored with numerous awards including the Community Service Award, Chamblee Business and Professional Coalition Spotlight Award, DeKalb County School System Principal of the Year (Area IV), and the DeVaughn Award for the Most Outstanding Doctoral Student at Georgia State University.