Late Breaking Action on Friday with Evaluation and Testing

SB 364 Passes Out of Committee; New Bill Dealing
with Evaluation Introduced in House by Rep. Tom Dickson


The Senate Education and Youth Committee met late Friday to discuss SB 364. The committee made some changes to the language and added an assessment provision that would require verification that any tests adopted or developed by the state are valid and reliable as determined by a nationally recognized, research based, third-party evaluator. The revised version was passed by the committee and moves on to Senate Rules.  

Over in the House, Rep. Tom Dickson (R-Cohutta) introduced an evaluation bill on Friday. HB 1061 stipulates that growth in student achievement would count only for those students present for 90 percent or more of the course. Student growth would account for 30 percent of a teacher's evaluation, with professional growth at 20 percent and classroom observation at 50 percent. Evaluations for principals and assistant principals would be based 40 percent on student growth, 30 percent on professional growth and 30 percent on school observation. The number of observations would be left to the discretion of the district, although the bill recommends three for educators with Exemplary or Proficient ratings and six for all others.

HB1061 includes co-sponsors Brooks Coleman (R-Duluth), Mike Dudgeon (R-Johns Creek), Randy Nix (R-LaGrange), Valerie Clark (R-Lawrenceville) and Margaret Kaiser (D-Atlanta).  

WIR 2016 Show 7 February 20, 2016
Week 6 of the 2016 session saw a flurry of activity on Friday with evaluation and testing bill action. And, on Tuesday hundreds of educators came to the Capitol to learn about issues that will impact public education and to meet with legislators to advocate for students, educators and schools.

Click on the video player above to watch "Georgia Legislature Week in Review" Anchor John Varner and PAGE Director of Legislative Affairs Margaret Ciccarelli review last week's action. 

Annual Event Breaks Attendance Record


PAGE/GAEL Day on Capitol Hill Connects Educators and Legislators, Provides Info on Key Issues for Public Education

More than 200 classroom teachers, school leaders and retired educators gathered in Atlanta for PAGE/GAEL Day on Capitol Hill on Feb. 16. The event drew the largest attendance of its history and fostered exceptional levels of interaction among educators and legislators.

Attendees heard from Senate Education Committee Chairman Sen. Lindsey Tippins (R-Marietta); Education Reform Commission member and syndicated columnist Dick Yarbrough; and Georgia Budget and Policy Institute Senior Education Policy Analyst Claire Suggs. Georgia School Superintendent Richard Woods provided the keynote address.

"This event is an important step in helping educators become effective advocates for their schools and public education," said Dr. Allene Magill, executive director of PAGE. The opportunity to speak with fellow educators from across Georgia, learn about key issues, and meet with lawmakers at the Capitol builds confidence that educators can advocate for public education all the time.
PAGE Legislative Reports


PAGE provides the best coverage of education matters during each year's Georgia General Assembly.  PAGE monitors all of the action under the Gold Dome from gavel to gavel.  You can follow the PAGE daily Report from The Capitol by subscribing to our Legislative Reports.  You'll get insightful coverage of legislation affecting Georgia's classrooms and K-12 Education. You will also receive reports from the different state agency meetings PAGE staff members attend throughout the year.  

Margaret Ciccarelli
Director of Legislative Affairs
Josh Stephens
Legislative Policy Analyst
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