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.

About the Author

Keep Reading

A 1-year-old receives the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine at a clinic in Texas. Of the nearly 2,000 U.S. measles cases reported this year, 93% of those who were infected were unvaccinated or their vaccination status was unknown, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images)

Credit: Getty Images

Featured

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney — pictured during a hearing Monday, Dec. 15, 2025 — has cleared the way for Georgia's State Election Board to obtain Fulton ballots and other documents from the 2020 election. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC