The department manages funding and testing for local educational agencies accountable for student achievement.

The state school superintendent serves as the department's chief executive, and is a publicly elected position currently held by Richard Woods (since 2015).

[6] The commissioner was to be appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Georgia State Senate, which is still in place today.

In addition to its general responsibilities, the board also had the express authority to "prescribe, from time to time, what text-books and books of reference shall be used in the common schools of the State: Provided, [t]hat the Bible shall not be excluded from the public schools of the State."

The Office of Standards, Instructions and Assessment is made up of three Divisions: the Division of Standards Based Learning, which works to provide learning materials and instruction to assist teachers in making sure their students are prepared for graduation and beyond, the Division of Innovative Instruction, which provides educational programs and material for students, and the Division of Assessment and Accountability, which assesses student achievements and provides data to teachers and schools in order to better learn from their strengths and weaknesses.

However, the Pupil Transportation and School Nutrition divisions also work to interpret of laws and regulations and provide leadership and training assistance.