Georgia lawmakers are taking aim at the use of high-stakes tests in schools, with new legislation that would significantly reduce the use of test results in teacher evaluations.

State law calls for test results to inform at least half of each teacher’s job review, but Senate Bill 355 would roll that back to no more than 10 percent.

The bill, introduced Tuesday as the “Student/Teacher Protection Act,” also would reduce penalties for students who are absent on testing day.

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Students put their cellphone in a box before heading to class at Sylvan Hills Middle School in Atlanta.  The Georgia Department of Education wants lawmakers to expand a cellphone ban. (AJC file)

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Tracy Woodard from InTown Cares (left) and Lauren Hopper from Mercy Care organization work with residents at the Copperton Street encampment in August 2024. 
(Miguel Martinez / AJC)

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