SUMMARY:  LC 33 6051  LC 33 6127S  LC 33 6191S HB 502/SCSFA/2

Title 20 'Clean Up' bill.  Clarifies and updates provisions in law; repeals obsolete provisions.

Amendments before final passage include Celebrate Freedom Week (previously SB 116) and America's Founding Philosophy and Principles Act (SB 202) 

PROVISIONS: 

Repeals: 

• Prohibition on local school board members in districts with 500,000 - 600,000 residents from holding another elective office [20-2-51(d)]
• Requirement that State Superintendent report first grade readiness of kindergarten students (changes "shall" to "may")
• Requirement that State Board report expenditures and participation rates based on gender (changes "shall" to "may")
• Requirement that Department of Education report on assistance to local boards in their acquisition of digital learning capabilities (20-2-319.5)
• Pension provision for counties with population higher than 500,000 (GA L. 1963, p. 2469)
• References to middle grades including instructional minimum
• Requirement that the Department of Education provide local systems approved lists of virtual school instruction programs  

Name Changes: 

• the term 'status quo system is changed to 'Title 20/No waivers system; and applies  to systems that elect to remain subject to all state rules, regulations, policies, and provisions of Title 20.
• the term 'IE2 system' is changed to 'strategic waivers school system' and applies to systems that elect to request increased flexibility from Title 20 provisions under 20-2-81
• replaces the term "uniformly sequenced core curriculum" with the terms "uniformly sequenced content standards" and "content standards"

Changes: 

• adds annual performance evaluations to the list of items that may not be waived by the State Board of Education for any school
• clarifies that local school systems may expand and enrich content standards adopted by the State Board and each system shall adopt its own curriculum which is to include appropriate instruction for the standards
• clarifies that the Professional Standards Commission is authorized to certify personnel who provide virtual instruction whether such personnel are located within or outside of Georgia
• gives the State Superintendent authority to delegate to the chief finance officer authority to execute contracts up to $50,000 on behalf of the State Superintendent
• clarifies the conditions under which and the procedure to be followed for a student to petition the State Board for a variance or waiver from a State Board rule
• requires the State Board to contract for development of state criterion based tests to measure content standards; such tests shall contain features to allow for comparability with other states without relinquishing control of assessments to any individual or entity outside the state
  • tests in English, language arts/reading and mathematics shall be administered in grades three through 8
  • tests in science and social studies shall be administered annually in grades three through 8
  • writing performance tests shall be administered in grades 3, 5, 8, and 11 and any other grades designated by the State Board
• permits employment of school administrative managers with a minimum requirement of satisfactory business experience in lieu of a bachelor's degree 
• recognizes the Office of Student Achievement as the administrator of the Governor's Honors Program
• allows home school students to enroll in Georgia Virtual School classes
• allows the State Board to proportionally cut funds to local school systems and charter schools delinquent in payments for the State Health Benefit Plan 
• changes the date for nonrenewal of a contract to May 15 and the date by which a teacher must notify the system that a contract will not be accepted to June 1
• allows the State Board to affirm, reverse, remand, or refer to mediation decisions of local boards when such decisions are appealed to the State Board under 20-2-1160(b)
• gives local boards 90 days (rather than the current 60) to approve or deny a charter petition
• strongly encourages local systems to implement formative assessments and intervention in reading in grades K-3 and mathematics in grades K-5

America's Founding Philosophy and Principles Act (section 6A of the bill)

• Adds code section 20-2-142.1
• Authorizes each local board to establish a graduation requirement that all students complete and pass a semester course during grades 9-12 that covers the listed founding philosophy and principles of the U.S.  
• The Department of Education and local boards may provide curriculum content and teacher training to ensure the intent and provisions of this Code section are implemented
• Shall apply beginning in school year 2017-18

Celebrate Freedom Week (section 38A of the bill)

Adds Article 19A 

20-2-1020

• Strongly encourages that the full week in September which includes Constitution Day, September 17th, is recognized in all public schools in this state as Celebrate Freedom Week
• Strongly encourages that Celebrate Freedom Week include three hours of appropriate instruction, as determined by each local system, in each social studies class
• Strongly encourages that the instruction include an age-appropriate study of the intent, meaning, and importance of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution and other suggestions, but the religious references in the writings of the Founding Fathers shall not be censored.
• Strongly encourages that local systems suggest that students in grades 3-12 read at least one book during the school year that focuses on the Founding era
• Strongly encourages local systems to require students in grades 3-12 to recite at least one of the three listed excerpts during the week or to require daily recitations
• Requires school system to excuse a student from the recitation upon written request from the parent or guardian
• Code section does not apply to a student who has a conscientious objection to the recitation, who is the child of a representative from a foreign government to whom the U.S. extends diplomatic immunity
• Shall apply beginning with the 2016-17 school year

20-2-1021

• Allows public schools to display historically important excerpts from, or copies of, American historical documents in school classrooms and common areas as appropriate
• Strongly encourages local boards and charter schools to allow and may encourage any public school teacher or administrator to read or post in a public school building classroom, or event excerpts or portions of writings, documents, records, or images that reflect the history of the U.S including but not limited to a list of eleven documents
• Prohibits any content based censorship of American history and heritage documents referred to in this Code section due to their religious or cultural nature

20-2-1022

• Strongly encourages the Department of Education to create an online instructional resource page(s) for teachers which may be linked to the Teacher Resource link of the Statewide Longitudinal Data System
• Strongly encourages that this online resource be completed and made easily available to teachers no later than July 31, 2016 and support the requirements in 20-2-1020

EFFECTIVE DATE:  

July 1, 2015