Tests will now play diminished role in Georgia teacher evaluations

Student test results will play a smaller role in the evaluations of Georgia teachers and other public school educators after a vote by the Georgia Board of Education Thursday.

The board approved rule 160-5-1-.37, which implements Senate Bill 364, approved this spring. The law and the new regulation reduce the weight of test-based student growth in the evaluations of teachers and school leaders.

Test results previously comprised half of each teacher evaluation and 70 percent of each leader’s evaluation. Under SB 364, that dropped to 30 percent for teachers and 40 percent for school leaders.