A new version of legislation that moderates the influence of student test scores on teacher evaluations maintains core elements of the original bill that was passed unanimously by the Georgia Senate last month.
The new version is a second try by the House of Representatives to amend Senate Bill 364. Sen. Lindsey Tippins, R-Marietta, the original author, expressed concerns about the House edits at a hearing Wednesday, and the House Education committee chairman said he'd work with Tippins to smooth out the wrinkles.
The new version, released Thursday by committee chairman Rep. Brooks Coleman, R-Duluth, still addresses student test results as a component of teacher evaluations, reducing them to 30 percent from the 50 percent or more in current law. However, the Senate’s version of the bill allowed districts to shave off another 10 percentage points, dropping tests to just 20 percent of evaluations.
Another change goes further than the Senate, though: under the bill passed last month, students would have to attend class for 80 percent of the year, up from 65 percent in current law, to have their scores count in the teacher’s evaluation. The amended bill changes that to 90 percent.
The new version also adds two of Georgia’s 180 school districts that were excluded from the Senate version —Buford (in Gwinnett County) and Webster County, and it brings charter schools under the amended evaluation scheme.
Finally, this second amendment addresses a key concern Tippins had with the House’s first try: it restores the tests the Senate wanted in math, English and reading for first and second grade students. Overall, the number of mandated tests still drops from 32 to 24, because of the elimination of some tests in other grades.
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