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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The quadrangle at Oxford College of Emory University. The university announced Wednesday it will be tuition-free for undergraduates whose families earn less than $200,000. (Courtesy of Kay Hinton)

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Julian Conley listens during opening statements in his trial at Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. The 25-year-old is accused of fatally shooting 8-year-old Secoriea Turner in July 2020. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)

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