Georgia Science Teachers Association Policy Updates

GSTA Legislative Report - 2017 Final Session Summary

Jeremy Peacock — Fri, 07 Apr 2017 16:16:08 GMT

Georgia General Assembly Summary Report, 2017 Session

In the early hours of the morning on March 31st, 2017 the Georgia General Assembly completed its 40-day legislative session and adjourned “Sine Die.” After adjournment, the Governor has 40 days to sign or veto bills. If the Governor does not sign or veto a bill, it will automatically become law. The Governor has the power of line-item veto over the budget bills. Below is a comprehensive summary of the most relevant pieces of legislation that were filed and considered in the 2017 session of the legislature.

HB 139, sponsored by Rep. Dave Belton (R-Buckhead). This measure is intended to provide for transparency and accuracy of the financial information of local school systems and schools. It would require the Department of Education to make publicly available on its website the budget and expenditure information for each school.

Status: The legislation was approved by both chambers and is now on the Governor’s desk.

HB 237, sponsored by House Education Chairman Brooks Coleman (R-Duluth). This bill, which has been characterized as a piece of legislation meant to support the intent of HB 338, would authorize the Public Education Innovation Fund to receive private donations that could be used as grants for public schools, and establishes a tax credit for such a donation. The legislation was changed in the Senate to reduce the maximum amount of tax credits available to $5,000,000 and sunset the law on December 31, 2020.

Status: The legislation was approved by both chambers and is now on the Governor’s desk.

HB 338, sponsored by Rep. Kevin Tanner (R-Dawsonville) is school reform legislation intended to give the State Board of Education more authority to intervene in chronically failing schools. Late in the session the measure was renamed the “First Priority Act” and was amended to include a change that prevents for-profit entities from operating state schools under the terms of the legislation. A change was also made to the formation of the education turnaround advisory council in order to include more representation from the education community and their respective associations. Additionally, the State Board of Education instead of the Superintendent of Schools will appoint the Chief Turnaround Officer who will have substantial authority over the turnaround process. Finally, $1,000,000 in funding for the implementation of the bill was added to the conference committee report on the fiscal year 2018 budget and a provision was included in HB 338 that creates a Joint Study Committee on the potential establishment of an accreditation process for public schools.

Status: The legislation was approved by both chambers and is now on the Governor’s desk.

HB 425, sponsored by Rep. Joyce Chandler (R-Grayson) would strongly encourage the State Board of Education and local school systems to allow the administration of standardized tests in pencil and paper format. The bill would also ask the State School Superintendent to develop guidelines that would be approved by the State Board of Education to strongly encourage how local school systems should handle students who do not participate in state-wide assessments.

Status: The legislation was approved by both chambers and is now on the Governor’s desk.

HR 686, sponsored by Rep. Kevin Tanner (R-Dawsonville), creates the House Study Committee on Equitable Local Education Funding to include three members of the House of Representatives. This study committee will present an excellent opportunity for us to engage with key influencers on the local education funding process over the interim period. We will monitor this closely throughout the interim period and report on any relevant developments in real time.

Status: This resolution was approved by the House and is awaiting appointments.

SB 30, sponsored by Sen. Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta) would create a pilot program for Sustainable Community School Operations Grants and would allow the Department of Education to issue grants to plan, implement, and improve sustainable community schools. In the Senate version of the fiscal year 2018 budget $50,000 was appropriated to allow for grants to be remitted, but the funding was not included in the conference committee report on the budget.

Status: This bill was approved by the Senate and was later attached to HB 430 in the House but was removed (deleted) before coming back to the Senate for agreement to the House changes.

SB 211, sponsored by Senate Education Chairman Lindsey Tippins (R-Marietta) seeks to clarify many of the provisions of SB 364 that were signed into law in 2016. Specifically, the legislation directs local districts along with the Department of Education to pursue maximum flexibility from the federal government in terms of the tests that are administered and required in public schools. Additionally, the measure instructs the State Board of Education to conduct a study of nationally recognized standardized tests and their alignment with state standards. Included in the conference committee report on the budget is $250,000 in the Department of Education budget to “increase funds for concordant testing models as prescribed by SB 211.”

Status: The legislation was approved by both chambers and is now on the Governor’s desk.

Pre-Sine Die Legislative Update

Jeremy Peacock — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 16:48:24 GMT

The 2017 session of the Georgia General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn Sine Die next week on Thursday March 30th. “Cross-over day,” the day by which all bills must be approved by their chamber of origin in order to remain in consideration, occurred on Friday, March 3rd. The committees in each chamber have been working nonstop since that time to move bills to their respective rules committees. From there, the rules committees determine which bills move to the floor of each chamber for a vote.

The House and Senate came to an agreement this week on the fiscal year 2018 budget in the form of a conference committee report. Leadership from both chambers worked to resolve the differences between the House and Senate versions of the appropriations packages and the result of those negotiations is represented in the conference committee report. The budget is the only piece of legislation that the General Assembly is constitutionally required to pass during their 40-day session.

Below is a summary of relevant legislation under consideration:

HB 338, sponsored by Rep. Kevin Tanner (R-Dawsonville) has been renamed the “First Priority Act” and has been amended several times throughout the legislative process including a change that prevents for-profit entities from operating schools under the terms of the legislation. A change was also made to the formation of the education turnaround advisory council in order to include more representation from the education community and their respective associations. Finally, $1,000,000 in funding for the implementation of the bill was added to the conference committee report on the fiscal year 2018 budget.

Status: This bill has been approved by the Senate Education Committee, and awaits movement to the Senate Floor via the Rules Committee.

HB 237, sponsored by House Education Chairman Brooks Coleman (R-Duluth). This bill, which has been characterized as a piece of legislation meant to support the intent of HB 338, would authorize the Public Education Innovation Fund to receive private donations that could be used as grants for public schools, and establishes a tax credit for such a donation. The legislation was changed in the Senate to reduce the maximum amount of tax credits available and the length of time that they are available for.

Status: This bill was approved by the Senate Finance Committee, and awaits movement to the Senate Floor via the Rules Committee.

SB 30, sponsored by Sen. Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta) creates a pilot program for Sustainable Community School Operations Grants and would allow the Department of Education to issue grants to plan, implement, and improve sustainable community schools. In the Senate version of the fiscal year 2018 budget $50,000 was appropriated to allow for grants to be remitted, but the funding was not included in the conference committee report on the budget.

Status: This bill was approved by the House Education Committee, and is now in the House Rules Committee where it will be considered for movement to the House floor.

SB 211, sponsored by Senate Education Chairman Lindsey Tippins (R-Marietta) seeks to clarify many of the provisions of SB 364 that were signed into law in 2016. Specifically, the legislation directs local districts along with the Department of Education to pursue maximum flexibility from the federal government in terms of the tests that are administered and required in public schools.

Status: This bill has passed out of the House Education Committee, and is awaiting movement to the House Floor via the House Rules Committee.

HB 425, sponsored by Rep. Joyce Chandler (R-Grayson) would strongly encourage the State Board of Education and local school systems to allow the administration of standardized tests in pencil and paper format. The bill would also ask the State School Superintendent to develop guidelines that would be approved by the State Board of Education to strongly encourage how local school systems should handle students who do not participate in state-wide assessments.

Status: This bill was approved by both the House and Senate and will be transmitted to the Governor’s desk.

House Education Committee Holds Public Hearings

Jeremy Peacock — Wed, 03 Aug 2016 02:14:23 GMT

House Education Committee Chairman Brooks Coleman is organizing several listening sessions to gather feedback from educators on Education Reform Commission proposals and other legislative changes.

The most recent session was held in Watkinsville last week, and GSTA was on hand to take the pulse of teachers who came from as far away as Fulton County. Speakers generally spoke against the over-reliance on testing and the proposed move toward merit pay. A GSTA member who addressed the committee spoke in favor of STEM education and expressed concerns about the rigor of some Move On When Ready courses that take the place of advanced high school courses. GSTA President Brian Butler will be submitting official comments to the committee on behalf of the organization.

The next session will be held Tuesday, August 19th, from 6:00 until 8:00 pm at the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center. Follow this link for details.

Teacher who would like to submit comments, but who cannot attend any of the sessions, can submit written comments to Ms. Cortney Gillham, a Policy Analyst supporting the House Education Committee

We encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities to speak up for your students and for science education in Georgia.

GSTA Legislative Report

Jeremy Peacock — Tue, 29 Mar 2016 17:42:42 GMT

Post-Sine Die Update

In the early morning hours of March 25^th, the Georgia General Assembly completed the final day of the 40-day legislative calendar and adjourned “Sine Die.” Upon adjournment, the Governor has 40 days to sign or veto bills (this year he will have until May 3^rd). If the Governor does not sign a bill or veto it, it will automatically become law. The Governor has the power of line-item veto over the budget bills.

Fiscal Year 2017 budget: The Governor’s proposed FY 2017 budget contained funds for the Department of Education to “develop a statewide, standards-based curriculum to guide instruction and assessment, and to provide training and instructional resources to teachers for implementing this curriculum.”

Status: Although the House removed some of the funds included in the Governor’s budget, the Senate added a portion of them back in and the conference committee struck a compromise between the two. In the final conference committee report adopted by both chambers, the curriculum funds were included. The FY 2017 budget is now on the Governor’s desk where it awaits action.

Status: The Senate agreed to the House’s changes to this bill and it is now on the Governor’s desk awaiting action.

SB 355, sponsored by Senator William Ligon (R-Brunswick). This bill originally sought to enact numerous reforms to the use of standardized tests and Georgia’s teacher evaluation system. The bill was revised in the Senate to address standardized test opt-out procedures and seek to prevent teachers and administrators from being penalized when a student does not take a mandated test.

Status: This was approved by the House and is now on the Governor’s desk awaiting action.

HB 801, sponsored by House Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones (R-Milton). This bill, which has strong support from House leadership, seeks to allow the University System of Georgia to add GPA weights to certain STEM courses which would exclusively impact a student’s HOPE GPA. The purpose of the bill is to prevent students from avoiding STEM courses because of the impact that the rigor could have on their HOPE scholarship eligibility.

Status: The House agreed to the Senate changes to this bill and it is now on the Governor’s desk awaiting action.

HB 739, sponsored by Rep. Kevin Tanner (R-Dawsonville). This bill, which was drafted in consultation with the Department of Education and numerous school districts, seeks to bring greater transparency to the instructional materials adoption process. The bill would make the statewide materials adoption process optional and require local districts to institute an instructional material review process that includes an easily accessible public notice and a parental component.

Status: This bill was approved by both the House and the Senate and is now on the Governor’s desk awaiting action.

HB 1061, sponsored by Rep. Tom Dickson (R-Cohutta). This bill seeks to reduce the impact of assessments on teacher evaluations. It also seeks to require that growth in student achievement as measured for teacher evaluation purposes only be used if the student attends at least 90 percent of instructional days for the course in question. The bill does not seek to change the number of state mandated assessments in any specific subject matter area.

Status: This bill was considered by the House Education Committee but did not receive a vote. It did not achieve final passage this year.

Policy Update: Public Hearing & Board Vote on Revised Science Standards

Jeremy Peacock — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 18:54:15 GMT

Public Hearing & Board Vote on Revised Science Standards

The State Board of Education will hold a public hearing and vote on adoption of the revised science standards next Thursday, March 31st. This will culminate a nearly 12-month process that has been driven by teacher input at every step. The public hearing will provide one last opportunity for science teachers to speak up in support of high-quality science standards for our students. If you are not able to attend the hearing, then please consider contacting your State Board member to voice your support for the revised standards. See below for additional information.

· You can view the meeting agenda here:https://eboard.eboardsolutions.com/Meetings/ViewMeetingOrder.aspx?S=1262&MID=49363. The meeting will begin at 9:30 am, with the public hearing following fairly soon thereafter.

· If you click on item E.1. on the agenda, you’ll see the final proposed version of the standards as they have been recommended to the board. The crosswalk document, displays the original standards, the initial revision, and the final revision in parallel. There have been some wording changes based on public comments, but I think the core of the work from the original teacher survey and working committees is preserved.

· The actual board vote will come later in the meeting, as you can see on item I.1. By clicking on that item, you can see the larger number of support letters, including one from GSTA, that were submitting in addition to the public comments. You will also notice that the standards are coming to the board with a recommendation to adopt from the Superintendent and DOE leadership.

GSTA Legislative Report: Pre-Sine Die Update

Jeremy Peacock — Fri, 18 Mar 2016 02:17:54 GMT

Pre-Sine Die Update

On Wednesday March 16^th, the Georgia General Assembly completed the 38^th day of the 40-day legislative calendar. At this point in the session, most committees have finished their work and the remainder of the action will be on the floor or in the Rules Committee of each chamber. Any piece of legislation that has not been approved by both the House and Senate on March 24^th will be dead for the year. Once the General Assembly adjourns on March 24^th, the Governor will have 40 days to sign or veto bills (this year he will have until May 3^rd). If the Governor does not sign a bill or veto it, it will automatically become law.

Status: Both the House and the Senate approved their respective versions of the budget. The House officially “insisted” on their position, which sent the budget to a joint conference committee for reconciliation. Before March 24^th, each chamber will approve the final conference committee report.

Status: This bill has been approved by the House and must return to the Senate for an “agree” motion on the House changes before it heads to the Governor’s desk.

SB 355, sponsored by Senator William Ligon (R-Brunswick). This bill originally sought to enact numerous reforms to the use of standardized tests and Georgia’s teacher evaluation system. The revised version of the bill approved by the House addresses standardized test opt-out procedures and seeks to prevent teachers and administrators from being penalized when a student does not take a mandated test.

Status: This bill was approved the House Education Committee but has not yet been selected by the House Rules Committee for a vote on the House floor.

Status: This bill has been approved by the Senate and must return to the House for an “agree” motion on the Senate changes before it heads to the Governor’s desk.

Status: This bill has been approved by both the House and the Senate and will now be transmitted to the Governor for his consideration.

Status: This bill was considered by the House Education Committee but did not receive a vote. It is no longer eligible for consideration this year in its current form.

Second House Hearing for SB 364

Jeremy Peacock — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 00:46:47 GMT

The House Education Committee met this afternoon for the second time to discuss SB 364, (substitute version attached), authored by Sen. Lindsey Tippins. Prior to the bill presentation from the author and public testimony, House Education Chairman Brooks Coleman took the time to address a report circulated by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators that the Governor reached out to the committee to ask them to hold the bill. Chairman Coleman dismissed this claim as being as far from the truth as an association has ever strayed.

Chairman Tippins, in consultation with Chairman Coleman and Vice Chairman Dudgeon, drafted a substitute version of the legislation, that was summarized by Vice Chairman Mike Dudgeon:

Under Section 1 concerning evaluations, the House changes to SB 364 include:

Evaluations are available to all schools, not just the charter schools and strategic waiver systems
On line 21, 90% (162/180 days) student attendance is the minimum threshold needed to affect a teacher’s evaluation
On lines 63-64, the evaluation percentages are altered to include 30% based on the annual state assessment, 20% on professional growth, and 30% (down from 50% in the original bill) on the SLO’s
On line 78, SLO’s are codified to be centered around teachers, not students
In the Senate version of SB 364, there were provisions defining alternative ways to develop and administer SLO’s, this is removed in the new House version
For administrator evaluations, the 70% threshold for testing accounting for an administrator’s evaluations, the House version reduces this to 40%
On line 110, language is added to mandate that quota systems for teacher evaluations cannot be applied
Relating to classroom evaluations on line 125, multiple evaluations is not limited to a specific number however teachers with the two highest tiered evaluation scores (professional and exemplary) are only required to undertake two evaluations.

Under Section 2, concerning testing, the House changes to SB 364 include:

On line 174, SB 364 removes the Social Studies and Science assessments in grades 3,4, 6 & 7. By reducing these 8 tests, the total testing days is reduced from 32 to 24.
On line 186, the COMPASS test is replaced with the ACCUPLACER system
On line 193, relating to testing windows, the House version puts the onus on the Board of Education and the State Department of Education to reevaluate their testing window policies by 2017 and will be required to submit a report to the General Assembly on their changes
On line 203, the language remained in the House version that requires a nationally accredited third party auditor to review the state required tests

Under Section 3, relating to appeals and other issue areas, the House version did not include language creating an appeal process for teacher evaluations. The Committee did not want to adjust this, and the language only grants an appeal for further action for procedural errors on behalf of the evaluators.

Following Vice Chairman Dudgeon’s presentation on the new changes in the bill, Chairman Tippins gave brief remarks on his thoughts of the new version of SB 364. Sen. Tippins noted that he was confident his bill was good for the teachers/educators in the State, but recognized the tremendous effort that the House and Senate Education committees had put in to adjust the bill so that it would be a strong first step in addressing education shortfalls in the state. He continued by expressing his hesitancy with the House version, because it failed to include the reading/math mandate by fifth grade that the original Senate legislation had included. The Chairman strongly encouraged the members to put that language back in the bill, and when questioned about allowing classroom subject flexibility to ensure that all students are on reading/math level by fifth grade, the Chairman said:

“If you think I'm hung up on reading & math, I am. If you get reading right, they will be better science & social studies students.”

Chairman Tippins closed his remarks by voicing his commitment to advancing the interests of public education in the state, and that any future legislation should focus on leaders arguing student issue areas and crafting policy that was both meaningful and impactful to Georgia’s students.

Following the author’s presentations, public testimony was heard from over thirty members of the public voicing their strong support to the committee for addressing their concerns. Those testifying in favor of the measure included the State Department of Education, GAE, PAGE, the Georgia Association of Education Leaders, TRAGIC, and many other educators representing themselves.

Many members of the public, while supportive of the measure as a whole, urged the committee to address two issue areas specifically that were left out of the bill:

Senator Tippins’ mandate for students being on reading/math level by leaving elementary school, but allowing some classroom flexibility to meet that goal
Further addressing the post-evaluation process, and mandating a formal post evaluation discussion between the teacher and evaluator, not just a signature or written affirmation that the evaluation had been conducted and received

The committee adjourned without a vote but committee members will be allowed submit any recommendations or amendments to the legislation to the committee administrative aide before Wednesday afternoon. Chairman Coleman indicated that the he plans to call a vote on the final version of the House legislation Fridaymorning at 8:30 AM. Chairman Coleman also indicated that the reading/mathematics mandate would be put back into the House version of SB 364.

SB 364 Gets First House Hearing

Jeremy Peacock — Fri, 04 Mar 2016 17:57:58 GMT

Senate Education and Youth Committee Chairman Lindsey Tippins' (R-Marietta) assessment bill, SB 364, (substitute version attached), was heard for the first time in the House Education Committee Wednesday. We expect that the bill will be heard again next week and could be voted on at that time or at a later date. Following is a summary of the House hearing.

Chairman Lindsey Tippins began his presentation to the House Education Committee on SB 364 by noting that this legislation needs to pass in order to support teachers and the education workforce at large. Chairman Tippins noted that he has heard from many constituents and others across the state that public education is failing the teachers in Georgia and there hasn’t been a substantial policy change on assessments or teacher evolutions in nearly 50 years. Chairman Tippins framed his discussion in the context of what he believes needs to change and noted that like any good policy initiative, it will take time to get to the point where the public at large is satisfied with the policy. He remarked that SB 364 was designed to craft a model that is best for the local school district, and that the legislation seeks to reframe the conversation about student and educator efficiency and increased effectiveness in public education. He closed his remarks by clearly stating that this legislation is moving forward in one form or another, as it is one of the Senate Republican Caucus’ top priorities this session.

Chairman Tippins briefly overviewed the high level changes in SB 364 to public education:

Reduces TKES student growth from 50% - 30%
Reduces LKES student growth from 70% - 40%
Reduces state mandated tests from 32-24 by eliminating social studies and science tests in grades 3-4 and 6-7. Students would be tested in these subjects in grades 5 and 8.
Makes SLOs a local adoption
Requires that a student attend 80% of the available classes to be counted in a teachers growth measures
Reduces the number of observations for tenured teachers with a proficient or exemplary rating
Requires an annual summative assessment for each student

Chairman Tippins continued by noting how the legislation is designed around education inputs rather than education outputs and is intended to be a “minor reduction” in testing. He also noted that Georgia requires three times the amount of testing that federal government requires. SB 364 is crafted to allow for teacher and educational flexibility, but is also based on the notion that all students should be evaluated properly. Finally, the Chairman expressed that he will not negotiate on mandated reading/math skills by the time a student enters the 6th grade. He cautioned the committee that the State and the Department of Education do not need to hold teachers accountable for areas outside of their control, and that the most effective model he has seen is the use of frequent formative assessments. He closed his presentation to the committee by detailing the provision in the bill that allows the local system to keep their current model of testing/evaluation if they can show the DOE through data/results that the model is working.

Following the Chairman’s remarks, the Committee posed questions to both him and State Superintendent of Schools Richard Woods, which are summarized below:

Chairman Coleman asked Supt. Woods to give a brief overview of the State required tests:
Supt. Woods responded that local systems can require additional tests (benchmark testing) that is directly tied to accountability, and that the Department does not mandate the systems to perform more tests. The committee received a copy of a matrix showing the state required tests v. federally required tests v. an aggregate of what local school systems test.

Rep. Tommy Benton asked Chairman Tippins if there had been discussions in the Senate process about using MAP in the bill?
Chairman Tippins responded that the bill addresses this in K-5 grade, but that the local system, the education committees and other thought leaders have to determine which assessments give the teachers and the administration the best feedback.

Chairman Randy Nix specifically asked about a provision on page 3 relating to the student growth (30%) a minimum of 20% on state assessments, and what the thought process was from going from 50% -20%.
Chairman Tippins responded that the other 10 percent is multiple indicators of student achievement (20% has to be Milestones) and remarked that a single test on single day in a high stakes format is not the best indicator of student growth or achievement.

Chairman Randy Nix continued by asking about the provision on Line 79, which eliminates the state board approval of SLOs.
Chairman Tippins interrupted Chairman Nix and told the committee that the proposed legislation is eliminating SLOs as they are designed today, but that they are not eliminating the approval process.

Rep. Margaret Kaiser asked if there is going to be flexibility for formative assessments for charter schools?
Chairman Tippins responded that a clarification needs to be be made in the current version of the bill for public charter schools, and that particular issue hasn’t been discussed yet.

Rep. Mike Dudgeon asked Supt. Woods if he could offer his vision of SLOs/student growth for five years from now?
Supt. Woods responded that he envisioned the Department looking at one growth measure, where they would still have pre/post tests, and that the administration would work with the teacher to give them flexibility at the local level to determine success. This drastically cuts down on the required number of tests (next year is only two growth measures).

Rep. Mike Dudgeon continued by remarking to the committee and the audience that the legislation is not dramatically decreasing testing days as opponents would contend, but rather the proposal is to move from 32 testing days to 26 testing days.

Rep. Valencia Stovall asked specifically about lines 13-14, relating to development. She asked if there had been consultation with stakeholders that would include parents/students?
Chairman Tippins responded that the parents are the stakeholders, and that if the parents want to be involved then they will be involved.

Rep. Amy Carter expressed her concerns about the testing window (she thinks that testing would be too early in the school year) and voiced concerns for seniors who are graduating and taking tests late in the year, along with the 3rd and 5th grade “testing gap.”

Chairman Randy Nix closed the hearing, as a sponsor of the House counterpart to the bill, and expressed his thanks to Chairman Tippins and Supt. Woods for their hard work thus far on the bill. Chairman Nix said that his only reservations about the current form of the bill are that there is not an appeal process for the teachers to adjust their evaluations. Chairman Nix closed by saying that he hoped a hybrid bill of his legislation (HB 1061) and SB 364 could be put together to move the state’s teachers forward and remove onerous and burdensome provisions on them in the future.

GSTA Legislative Report - March 1, 2016, Post-Crossover Update

Jeremy Peacock — Fri, 04 Mar 2016 17:52:25 GMT

Science/STEM Education: Bills to Watch

On February 25th, the Georgia Science Teachers Association held its first annual “Day at the Capitol.” GSTA members from across the state descended on the Capitol to meet with state legislators and speak with them about relevant issues before the General Assembly. During the morning session, GSTA members met privately with key influencers such as Senate Education Chairman Lindsey Tippins (R-Marietta), House Majority Leader Jon Burns (R-Newington), House Education Chairman Brooks Coleman (R-Duluth), and House Education Committee member Beth Beskin (R-Atlanta). Later that morning, the group met Governor Nathan Deal (see picture below) and was honored in the Senate Chamber by Senator David Lucas (D-Macon) with Senate Resolution 709. In the afternoon, each GSTA member met with their local legislators to discuss the importance of the science standards review process and the GSTA’s legislative priorities. Members of the group spoke with Senate Majority Leader Bill Cowsert (R-Athens), Senate Science & Technology Chairman Bruce Thompson (R-Canton), Governor Nathan Deal’s Senate Floor Leader Butch Miller (R-Gainesville), Senator Bill Ligon (R-Brunswick), Senator Nan Orrock (D-Atlanta), Senator Frank Ginn (R-Athens), Representative Spencer Frye (D-Athens), and others.

On Monday February 29th, the Georgia General Assembly completed the 30th day of the 40-day legislative calendar. This day was the deadline for legislation to “cross-over” to the opposite chamber in order to remain in consideration. Legislators who sponsored legislation have from now until March 24th to move that legislation through the committee process and to the Governor’s desk.

Fiscal Year 2017 Budget: The Governor’s proposed FY 2017 budget contained funds for the Department of Education to “develop a statewide, standards-based curriculum to guide instruction and assessment, and to provide training and instructional resources to teachers for implementing this curriculum.”

Status: The House version of the budget reduced those funds slightly in accordance with agency-wide reductions, and the Senate is now considering the budget in committee. Once the Senate approves the budget it will move to a joint conference committee for reconciliation before each chamber approves the final conference committee report.

SB 364, sponsored by Senate Education Chairman Lindsey Tippins (R-Marietta). This bill seeks to reform the use of standardized tests in the evaluation of both students and teachers. A major focus of the bill is to pivot from summative assessments to formative evaluations in math and reading. Of note, the bill requires science end of course tests to be administered annually in grades five and eight.

Status: This bill has been approved by the Senate and will now move to the House for consideration.

SB 355, sponsored by Senator William Ligon (R-Brunswick). This bill originally sought to enact numerous reforms to the use of standardized tests and Georgia’s teacher evaluation system. The revised version of the bill approved by the Senate addresses standardized test opt-out procedures and seeks to prevent teachers and administrators from being penalized when a student does not take a mandated test.

Status: This bill has been approved by the Senate and will now move to the House for consideration.

HB 801, sponsored by House Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones (R-Milton). This bill, which has strong support from House leadership, seeks to allow the University System of Georgia to add GPA weights to certain STEM courses which would exclusively impact a student’s HOPE GPA. The purpose of the bill is to prevent students from avoiding STEM courses because of the impact that the rigor could have on their HOPE scholarship eligibility.

Status: This bill has been approved by the House of Representatives and is now eligible for consideration by the Senate Higher Education Committee. The University System of Georgia, Technology Association of Georgia, and numerous other key stakeholders are supportive of this bill.

HB 739, sponsored by Rep. Kevin Tanner (R-Dawsonville). This bill, which was drafted in consultation with the Department of Education and numerous school districts, seeks to bring greater transparency to the instructional materials adoption process. The bill would make the statewide materials adoption process optional and require local districts to institute an instructional material review process that includes an easily accessible public notice and a parental component.

Status: This bill has been approved by the House of Representatives and is available for consideration by the Senate Education & Youth Committee.

HB 1061, sponsored by Rep. Tom Dickson (R-Cohutta). This bill seeks to reduce the impact of assessments on teacher evaluations. It also seeks to require that growth in student achievement as measured for teacher evaluation purposes only be used if the student attends at least 90 percent of instructional days for the course in question. The bill does not seek to change the number of state mandated assessments in any specific subject matter area.

Status: This bill was considered by the House Education Committee but did not receive a vote. It is no longer eligible for consideration this year in its current form.

HB 734, sponsored by Rep. Jason Spencer (R-Woodbine). While this bill it outside of education, we were introduced to it during our Capitol visit. The bill would facilitate the development of space flight-related business activities within Georgia, with a goal of increasing the number of STEM-related jobs available in the state.

Status: This bill was passed by the House Monday and will now move to the Senate for consideration.

GSTA Legislative Update – SB 364 Hearing

Jeremy Peacock — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 00:40:33 GMT

Senate Committee Hears Feedback on SB 364

The Senate Education & Youth Committee met this afternoon to discuss SB 364, sponsored by Senate Education Chairman Lindsey Tippins (R-Marietta). SB 364, Tippins explained, is an attempt to alleviate some of the excessive testing requirements that are placed on students and teachers in Georgia. Tippins noted that despite the relief from a number of federal testing requirements provided by President Obama’s B.E.S.T. Act, there are still issues with the state standardized testing model. Tippins explained that the current model takes students out of the instructional learning setting and puts unnecessary burdens on the teachers and administrators. He briefly went through the various provisions of the bill, and although the discussion was ‘hearing only,’ a substitute bill will be written to address errors in the current draft. The main purpose of the bill, however, will remain the same. Following Tippins' overview, representatives from GAE, PAGE, TRAGIC, Georgia Association of Educational Leaders, Educators First, various teachers and administrators from around the state, and State School Superintendent Richard Woods spoke in strong support of the bill. The bill is expected to be passed by substitute in a follow up hearing next Monday.

We strongly encourage you to review the bill for yourself and to provide your input both to Education and Youth Committee members and to your local legislators. You can find contact information through the links below.

Contact Your State Policy Makers

GSTA Legislative Action Alert - Contact Your Legislators re: SB 364

Jeremy Peacock — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 18:33:39 GMT

SB 364 - Evaluation & Testing Bill is Headed to a Hearing Wednesday

Educate Yourself and Speak Up!

The GSTA legislative team has learned that SB 364 will receive a hearing in the Senate Education and Youth Committee, Chaired by Senator Lindsey Tippins, Wednesday and Friday of this week. While this bill is being praised by many education groups, it does raise important questions for science teachers. With that in mind, we want to provide you with the following analysis. After reviewing this information, please contact committee members and your local representatives to share your input on the bill.

SB 364, sponsored by Senate Education Chairman Lindsey Tippins (R-Marietta), seeks to reform the use of standardized tests in the evaluation of students, teachers, and administrators. A major focus of the bill is to pivot from summative assessments to formative evaluations in math and reading. Of note, science end of course tests would be administered in grades five and eight, while math and ELA would continue to be assessed annually. This is a significant change from the current system of annual statewide science assessments in grades 3 through 8. GSTA's adopted position statement (Click here to read the full statement.) on assessment states that science assessments should receive the same emphasis and should have the same role in accountability as other academic disciplines. By proposing an increased focus on assessing math and literacy at the early grades, combined with reduced testing of science, SB 364 may lead to the unintended consequence of reducing the time that schools dedicate to science instruction in grades K through 5. Likewise, assessing only 8th-grade physical science at the middle school level could send the message that the Earth and life science taught in 6th and 7th grades are less important. We have communicated these concerns to Chairman Tippins, and we will continue to monitor the bill, including any changes and eventual implementation. With these concerns in mind, though, we also know that teachers and other stakeholders want to see less testing and less emphasis on test scores. Therefore, we strongly encourage you to review the bill for yourself and to provide your input, whether in support of or opposition to the bill, both to Education and Youth Committee members and to your local legislators. You can find contact information through the links below.

Contact Your State Policy Makers

GSTA Legislative Report – February 13, 2016, Mid-Session Update

Jeremy Peacock — Sat, 13 Feb 2016 17:54:15 GMT

Science/STEM Education: Bills to Watch

On Thursday February 12th, the Georgia General Assembly completed the 20th day of the 40-day legislative calendar. The next 20 days will be incredibly fast paced, as legislation must “cross-over” to the opposite chamber by day 30 (currently scheduled for February 29th) in order to remain in consideration. Your GSTA team at the Capitol is actively monitoring relevant legislation as it moves through the committee process and will continue to report throughout the legislative session.

Fiscal Year 2017 budget: The Governor’s proposed FY 2017 budget contains funds for the Department of Education to “develop a statewide, standards-based curriculum to guide instruction and assessment, and to provide training and instructional resources to teachers for implementing this curriculum.”

Status: The proposed FY 2017 budget is under consideration by the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Education, but the final recommendations have not been released. Once the House approves the budget it will move to the Senate and then to a joint “conference committee” for reconciliation before each chamber must approve the final conference committee report. GSTA is actively supporting DOE's efforts to finalize and implement the revised Georgia Standards of Excellence in Science. To that end, we are submitting letters of support for DOE's budget request to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.

The following bills are general education measures that include provisions that will potentially affect science education in Georgia. While GSTA is not taking an official position on these bills, we feel it is critical to monitor them through the legislative process and through possible implementation. We encourage you to educate yourself on these bills and to contact legislators with any feedback you may have.

SB 364, sponsored by Senate Education Chairman Lindsey Tippins (R-Marietta). This bill seeks to reform the use of standardized tests in the evaluation of both students and teachers. A major focus of the bill is to pivot from summative assessments to formative evaluations in math and reading. Of note, science end of course tests would be administered annually in grades five and eight. From a political standpoint, this bill has bi-partisan support and is sponsored by the Chairman of the Senate Education and Youth Committee. The Senate Republican Caucus, which is comprised of all republican members of the Senate, has selected this bill as a priority for the 2016 legislative session.

Status: This bill has been first read on the Senate floor and was assigned to the Senate Education & Youth Committee.

SB 355, sponsored by Senator William Ligon (R-Brunswick). This bill seeks to enact numerous reforms to the use of standardized tests and Georgia’s teacher evaluation system. If passed, the bill would reduce the impact of student scores on teachers and administrators. Notably, the bill would also allow parents to opt-out of standardized tests if they so chose. This bill, unlike SB 364, is driven by some of the more conservative members of the Senate Republican Caucus instead of by a bi-partisan coalition of legislators.

Status: This bill has been first read on the Senate floor and was assigned to the Senate Education & Youth Committee.

HB 801, sponsored by House Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones (R-Milton). This bill, which has strong support from House leadership, seeks to allow the University System of Georgia to add GPA weights to certain STEM courses which would exclusively impact a student’s HOPE GPA. The purpose of the bill is to prevent students from being discouraged from pursuing STEM courses because of the impact that the rigor could have on their HOPE scholarship eligibility.

Status: This bill has been approved by the House of Representatives and is now eligible for consideration by the Senate Higher Education Committee. The University System of Georgia, Technology Association of Georgia, and numerous other key stakeholders are supportive of this bill.

HB 739, sponsored by Rep. Kevin Tanner (R-Dawsonville). This bill, which was drafted in consultation with the Department of Education and numerous school districts, seeks to bring greater transparency to the instructional materials adoption process. The bill would require local districts to institute an instructional material review process that includes an easily accessibly public notice and a parental component.

Status: This bill has been approved by the House of Representatives and is available for consideration by the Senate Education & Youth Committee.

HB 816, sponsored by Rep. Billy Mitchell (D-Stone Mountain). This bill, entitled the “Student Religious Liberties Act of 2016” seeks to address students’ expression of religious viewpoints in public schools. A portion of the bill addresses the expression of religious viewpoints through coursework and classroom assignments. The bill would put into law that students shall not be penalized or rewarded on account of the religious content of their work. Instead, a student's academic work that expresses a religious viewpoint would be evaluated based on ordinary academic standards of substance and relevance to the course curriculum or requirements of the coursework, artwork, or assignment.

Status: This bill has been assigned to the House Judiciary Committee, which is chaired by Rep. Wendell Willard (R-Sandy Springs). We are continuing to watch this bill closely throughout the process.

Georgia Science Teachers Association Legislative Report – January 2016

Jeremy Peacock — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 15:08:08 GMT

Georgia Science Teachers Association Legislative Report – January 2016

The 2016 session of the Georgia General Assembly is picking up speed as more legislation continues to be filed, and committee hearings began in earnest this week. Your GSTA team at the Capitol is actively monitoring relevant legislation as it moves through the committee process and will continue to report throughout the legislative session.

HB 801, sponsored by House Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones (R-Milton). This bill, which has strong support from House leadership, seeks to allow the University System of Georgia to add GPA weights to certain STEM courses which would exclusively impact a student’s HOPE GPA. The purpose of the bill is to prevent students from being discouraged from pursuing STEM courses because of the impact that the rigor could have on their HOPE scholarship eligibility.

Status: The House Higher Education Committee approved this bill unanimously. The bill now sits on the House General calendar awaiting movement to the floor by the House Rules Committee. The University System of Georgia, Technology Association of Georgia, and numerous other key stakeholders are supportive of this legislation.

HB 739, sponsored by Rep. Kevin Tanner (R-Dawsonville). This bill, which was drafted in consultation with the Department of Education and numerous school districts, seeks to bring greater transparency to the instructional materials adoption process. The bill would require local districts to institute an instructional material review process that includes an easily accessibly public notice and a parental component.

Status: The House Education Subcommittee on Academic Achievement and Curriculum, which is chaired by Rep. Mike Dudgeon (R-Johns Creek), approved this bill unanimously. The bill is slated to be heard by the full House Education Committee early next week.

HB 816, sponsored by Rep. Billy Mitchell (D-Stone Mountain). This bill, entitled the “Student Religious Liberties Act of 2016” seeks to address students’ expression of religious viewpoints in public schools. A portion of the bill addresses the expression of religious viewpoints through coursework and classroom assignments. The bill would put into law that students shall not be penalized or rewarded on account of the religious content of their work. Instead, a student's academic work that expresses a religious viewpoint would be evaluated based on ordinary academic standards of substance and relevance to the course curriculum or requirements of the coursework, artwork, or assignment.

Status: This bill has been assigned to the House Judiciary Committee, which is chaired by Rep. Wendell Willard (R-Sandy Springs). We are continuing to watch this bill closely throughout the process.

Education Reform Commission Update

Jeremy Peacock — Thu, 27 Aug 2015 10:25:33 GMT

Education Reform Commission Update

- T.J. Kaplan, GSTA Legislative Consultant

After observing the meetings of the Governor’s Education Reform Commission since its inception earlier this year, Georgia Science Teachers Association President Jeremy Peacock traveled to Atlanta to express members' concerns. He spent the day in Atlanta meeting privately with key commission members prior to the full commission meeting, where he delivered testimony on behalf of GSTA.

Jeremy met first with Representative Mike Dudgeon, a former member of the Forsyth County Board of Education who now serves as the Vice Chair of the House Education Committee. The meeting also included newly elected Representative Sherri Gilligan, a former instructor at Lanier Tech. Jeremy took the opportunity to express to both Representatives concerns about funding proposals that may move away from teacher training and experience as a compensation model for Georgia teachers. Representative Dudgeon agreed that, particularly in STEM fields, advanced degrees are often crucial background for a successful teacher. Dudgeon also noted that the ERC is not moving towards eliminating T&E, but rather looking at a broad range of options for recruiting the best teachers to Georgia. Notable ideas put forth by the Teacher Recruitment Committee of the ERC, of which Dudgeon is a member, include signing bonuses for STEM teachers, higher starting salaries for all teachers, and differentiated pay for teachers in more difficult subjects (including STEM) and high needs schools.

Jeremy also met with Senator Lindsey Tippins, a former member of the Cobb County Board of Education, who now serves as the Chairman of the Senate Education Committee. After hearing GSTA’s concerns, Senator Tippins thoughtfully expressed his own similar concerns about Georgia’s current system for recruiting and retaining talented teachers. He, like other members of the commission, is actively searching for effective ways to appropriately compensate teachers for the skills that they bring to the classroom.

Finally, Jeremy met with Governor Nathan Deal’s education policy advisor to update her on GSTA’s work with the Department of Education on the standards revision process. She was excited to hear about the active role GSTA is playing, and will continue to work with us on the issue. Jeremy also briefed her on GSTA’s observations from the Governor’s Education Reform Commission to date, and our concerns surrounding teacher compensation and recruitment.

Jeremy delivered the following testimony to the Governor's Education Reform Commission:

We want to specifically provide input on the ERC Funding Committee proposals that would move away from teacher training and experience as a compensation model for Georgia teachers.
- Even though these proposals would not force current teachers into a new compensation model, our members are concerned with how the proposals might affect Georgia's ability to recruit and retain the most qualified teachers in the future.
While committee members have cited research showing that teacher training and experience is not correlated with student achievement, there is evidence that teacher training and experience does correlate to student achievement in science
- In particular, we know that a strong content background combined with knowledge of how to help students understand that content is a key to effective science teaching and learning.
However, we need to ask the bigger question of which compensation model will be most effective in recruiting and retaining excellent teachers for Georgia's science classrooms.
College graduates with science degrees often have a range of lucrative career options, and the prospect of facing the constant challenges that come in the classroom, with the knowledge that one's salary is tied to student test results, may not fare well against those other options.

 In the coming months, each of the ERC committees will finish drafting the recommendations that will be voted on by the full commission prior to December. The finished proposals will be submitted to the Governor. Before any action is taken, the proposals would need to be drafted in the form of legislation that will be considered by the full General Assembly and the appropriate committees. We will continue to follow developments and ensure that the voice of Georgia’s science teachers is heard. You can provide input directly to the Commission by submitting comments at this link or by emailing the Commission at erc@opb.georgia.gov.

Policy Update: US Senate Releases Bipartisan Bill to “Fix” No Child Left Behind

Jeremy Peacock — Sat, 11 Apr 2015 13:05:24 GMT

“Although the bill does retain testing for math and science, it does not treat STEM education as a national priority. It removes the Math and Science Partnership program (Title II B) and places no priority for STEM-related activities in the state grants provided for teacher programs. This is a huge disappointment to many in the STEM education community.”

That’s what Jodi Peterson, NSTA’s Assistant Executive Director of Legislative Affairs, had to say about the Senate’s proposed replacement for the maligned NCLB law. Please read her full blog post here. GSTA’s President, Dr. Donna Governor, has contacted Georgia Senator Johnny Isakson, a member of the HELP Committee working on this bill, and we encourage you to do the same. You can email senator Isakson here to ask him to restore STEM as a priority area and to restore the Math-Science Partnership program. We know many of you have benefitted directly from this program, and personal stories of those benefits can be very persuasive.

Here is a summary from our Legislative Consultant, T.J. Kaplan, of other key provisions in the proposed bill… Senate begins markup of federal education legislation to replace NCLB: The bipartisan bill to replace No Child Left Behind that was crafted after months of negotiations between Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) would end federal high-stakes testing and grant more power to states to decide what to do about struggling schools and how or whether to evaluate teachers. The Senate education panel … hopes to bring the bill before the full Senate later in the spring. The 600-page proposal would make plenty of other changes to the way the country’s 100,000 public schools operate…

Among the provisions: … States would still have to administer reading and math tests to students in grades three through eight and once in high school, and science tests once in elementary, middle and high school. But states could choose one end-of-year test or a series of smaller tests that would combine to create an overall measurement of student achievement. …States would design their own systems to hold schools accountable for educating kids. It must include graduation rates, English proficiency rates for English learners and some measure of college or career readiness. … It would be up to states to decide whether to evaluate teachers, and, if so, how to do it. That’s a big departure from current conditions … The bill says states have to assure the federal government they have “challenging” standards but that’s about it. What’s more, the federal government isn’t allowed to mandate or encourage states to adopt any standards, including as a condition of competitive grants, the way the Obama administration used Race to the Top to nudge 43 states and the District to embrace the Common Core. http://bit.ly/1IvF1Nl.

Regards,

Jeremy Peacock

GSTA President Elect & Advocacy Chair

Legislative Action Alert: Speak up for STEM in the NCLB Reauthorization

Jeremy Peacock — Sat, 11 Apr 2015 12:51:54 GMT

GSTA is passing on the following message from the National Science Teachers Association. Please take a few moments to read and act on this important notice.

The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives are currently working to reauthorize (rewrite) No Child Left Behind. Please contact your members of Congress immediately, and ask them to make STEM education a national priority. At the Legislative Action Center of the STEM Education Coalition website, you can send a letter to your elected representatives, asking them to

Maintain a strong focus on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.
Continue the focus on math and science as required elements of any state's accountability system.
Provide states with dedicated funding to support STEM-related activities and teacher training.

It is urgent that educators take a moment to write to your elected officials, and send this message to colleagues and networks in your school or district.

Click here for the latest NSTA blog on ESEA reauthorization.

Thank you,

Jeremy Peacock

GSTA President Elect & Advocacy Chair

Bill Update

Jeremy Peacock — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 20:04:03 GMT

Here is a pre-Sine Die update on some of the bills we are tracking.

Per our earlier report, SB 89 (digital textbook mandate amended down to a strong suggestion) was combined with HB 414 (the more reasonable of the two student data privacy bills) and was heard in the Academic Achievement Subcommittee of House Education yesterday. The bill did not receive a vote, but will be looked at in greater detail by legislators in the interim before next legislative session. We have pasted below a PDF of the bill in its most recent form.

Additionally, Governor Deal's "Opportunity School District" legislation was voted out of the House Education Committee earlier this week. The substitute version of the constitutional amendment and companion enabling legislation that cleared the committee are pasted below. This afternoon, the House passed the constitutional amendment enabling the OSD. This will now return to the Senate to reconcile House changes. This issue will be decided by Georgia voters in the next general election.

Finally, SR 80 (Senator Ligon's APUSH resolution, now watered down) and SB 132 (Move on When Ready) are set for a final hearing the House Education this afternoon. SB 2 (joint enrollment) is sitting in rules awaiting assignment to the House floor for final passage.

Thank you,

TJ Kaplan

Legislative Update - Post Crossover Day

Jeremy Peacock — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 12:50:05 GMT

Standards Revision

A group of GSTA leaders visited Atlanta February 18th to meet with Superintendent Richard Woods and his staff and to visit with key legislators in the Capitol. Overall, it was a very positive experience. Jeremy Spencer (Associate Superintendent of Virtual Learning and former science teacher), Matt Jones (Chief Officer of Academics), and Cindy Morley (Chief Officer of Governmental Affairs ) joined the meeting from the Superintendent’s office. Our approach was to ask Mr. Woods how GSTA could support and get our members involved in the process of reviewing and revising the science standards. We also took several opportunities to advocate for use of the Framework and NGSS as models during the process. Here are the main takeaways from the meeting.

Jeremy Spencer will play a key role in the revision process, based on his experience as a science teacher. Spencer voiced support for the Framework and learning progressions, which we saw as a very positive sign. He also mentioned that his main concern with the NGSS, themselves, is that they might be too “busy” and confusing for teachers. This is an issue that could be addressed during the revision process.
Mr. Woods described a tiered system for revision teams with a core leadership group combined with “outer rings” that would carry out the actual revision process. This aligns to the model Dr. Juan-Carlos, GaDOE's science program manager, has shared in the past. Mr. Woods asked GSTA to work with Dr. Aguilar to recommend GSTA members to serve as advisers to this team, and we have already taken action on this opportunity. We recommended five representatives, who are mostly classroom teachers from various levels and areas of the state: Zoe Evan (middle school assistant principal and NGSS Life Science Writing Team member), Brian Butler (high school physics teacher and former U.S. Air Force meteorologist), Denise Webb (elementary science and engineering teacher), Nick Zomer (middle school science teacher), and Trish Dubose (high school science teacher and former GaDOE science implementation specialist). We plan to position GSTA as a resource to GaDOE throughout this process, and we hope to engage our members in the process to the greatest extent possible. We are also working with partner organizations (e.g. RESAs, GYSTC, and GSSA) to engage them in the process and leverage their expertise.
Looking at the longer term, Matt Jones discussed his desire to increase the level of professional learning offered in science. GSTA can play a major role in supporting high-quality professional learning for science teachers in our state. As you know, we have an incredible wealth of human resources within the organization. To follow up on this, we have invited the Superintendent, his staff, and Patricia Williams from the Governor's office to our May 9th Science Saturday event to highlight our professional learning activities and the three-dimensional learning approach.
See our follow-up letter to Mr. Woods for more information.

Following our meeting with Supt. Woods, we spoke to several key lawmakers, the lobbyists from PAGE, and a representative from the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. With the lawmakers, our goal was to establish or continue relationships, build awareness for our organization, and establish a basis in the case that we need to contact them in the future. We received a very supportive response from Representative Dudgeon, who spoke at our August joint advocacy meeting. We hope to work through the Chambers of Commerce to generate support from the business community for our efforts to support science education in our state. We will continue communicating with these policy makers and stakeholders, and we will continue to keep our membership informed of all important developments

Legislative Session

Friday, March 13th marked the 30th day “crossover” deadline at the Georgia Legislature. If a bill did not gain passage from either the House or Senate by the time the gavel fell late Friday evening, then it is considered “dead” for the year. Although members of either chamber will have opportunities to “attach” their dead language to their colleagues’ bills later in the session, the likelihood of passing a bill that way is remarkably low. Below is a report on education legislation that the GSTA is tracking through the process.

Data Privacy Bills:

HB 144: “Student Online Information Act” - Filed by Representative Craig Gordon (not a member of the Education Committee), the bill has been put on hold by the committee. The bill did not meet the crossover deadline.

HB 414 - Representative Buzz Brockway’s version of the data privacy bill passed House Committee in early March and is now in the Rules Committee awaiting movement to a floor vote. The bill establishes and implement policies and requirements with respect to the collection and disclosure of student data. The bill did not meet the crossover deadline.

SB 157 - Senator Bill Ligon’s version of the data privacy bill is far more severe – although the Senate Education & Youth Committee slated it for consideration, it was removed from the calendar owing to an apparent lack of support. The language could resurface when House bills are taken up in the Senate, so we will continue to monitor. The bill did not meet the crossover deadline.

Education Reform:

SB 2: Career Education Dual Enrollment – SB 2 passed out of the House Education Committee on March 2nd. The bill creates an opportunity for students who have successfully completed 9th and 10th grade to enroll in a post-secondary institution and earn credits towards a degree or certification. The students would also be permitted to count the courses taken at the post-secondary institution towards their high school requirements. Status: SB 2 passed the Senate and the House Education Committee.

SB 132: "Quality Basic Education Act" – SB 132 passed out of the Senate Education and Youth Committee on March 2nd. The bill is a housekeeping measure designed to allow students to achieve either an associate degree or technical certification in what is defined as “high demand industry.” The authority is given to the Department of Education to determine the courses that can be applied towards high school requirements. SB 132 passed the Senate and now sits in the House awaiting consideration.

SB 133: Opportunity School District – SB 133 passed the Senate on March 6th. The bill creates what is referred to as an “Opportunity School District,” a program that allows the state government to intervene in failing schools across the state. The program would be administered by the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement, and is designed to focused on the lowest performing 20 schools in the state.

SR 287: Constitutional Amendment: Opportunity School District – SR 287, the companion constitutional amendment resolution to SB 133, would allow the measure to be put to a statewide ballot. The measure would have to pass a statewide referendum before being enacted. Status: SB 133 and SR 287 have both been passed by the Senate, and will be heard for the second time in the House Education Committee on March 23rd.

Other bills:

SB 89: “Digital Classroom Act” - Senator John Albers’ bill passed the Senate in the first week of March. It encourages local boards of education to provide instructional materials and content to be in digital or electronic format. It also encourages local boards of education to provide wireless electronic devices for students to access instructional materials and content. Status: passed the Senate.

HB 243 - Filed by Representative Mark Hamilton, the bill seeks to establish a state run program for education savings accounts. The bill was originally assigned to House Education, but last week it was recommitted to House Ways & Means. This bill did not meet the crossover deadline.

SB 92 - Filed by Senator Hunter Hill, this bill is a Senate version of the House bill filed by Representative Hamilton. This bill did not meet the crossover deadline.

- T.J. Kaplan, GSTA Legislative Consultant, and GSTA Advocacy Committee

Moving Toward the Next Generation of Georgia's Science Standards

Jeremy Peacock — Tue, 17 Feb 2015 16:19:13 GMT

During our recent conference, the GSTA board learned that GaDOE is preparing to begin the process of reviewing and revising Georgia's science standards. We welcome this news, and we plan to make every effort to ensure that this process reflects extensive input from our members and that it is grounded in science education research. The first step in the standards revision process will be a survey of all science teachers to gather feedback on our existing standards. You should receive the survey by April of this year, and it will ask for specific feedback on our existing standards and general input on the direction of the revision process. Teachers will be able to give feedback on single or multiple courses, based on their particular background and expertise. In an effort to reach all Georgia science teachers, you may receive the survey notice multiple times. Surveys will be distributed primarily through RESAs and GYSTCs, GaDOE will distribute the survey to their contact list, and GSTA will forward all announcements to our entire contact database. This survey is critical as it will provide guidance for the teams of teachers and other stakeholders that will be convened by GaDOE to revise the standards.

GSTA urges you to participate in the survey and, more specifically, to reflect the research-based, three-dimensional approach to science learning. This approach, laid out in A Framework for K-12 Science Education and modeled in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), seeks to engage students in science and engineering practices (e.g., engaging in argument from evidence) while simultaneously learning and applying core ideas (i.e., content standards) and crosscutting concepts (i.e., big ideas like patterns or structure & function). This 3D approach already is being promoted by our GaDOE Science Program Manager within the context of our existing standards, and it aligns to the goals of the new Milestones assessment system. This standards revision process represents an opportunity for GSTA to act on our position statement regarding the Framework and NGSS and, more importantly, an opportunity to improve the depth and quality of science education for all of Georgia's students. In preparation for the survey and revision process, we are running our full position statement below. Please read over this statement, familiarize yourself with the Framework and NGSS, and stay tuned for important updates on this process.

GSTA's Official Position Statement on the Revision of the Science GPS

The Georgia Science Teachers Association is an organization that seeks to expand levels of student achievement in Georgia. We are the premier organization in the state for sharing best practices in science education. The association represents science teachers from around the state who teach in a variety of schools and contexts.

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) industries are the drivers of tomorrow’s economy. According to the Department of Commerce, from 2000 to 2010, jobs in STEM fields grew at three times the rate of any other field. Through 2018, jobs in STEM fields are expected to increase by 17 percent, nearly double the projected growth rate of other jobs. Our state’s future economic success, and that of our students, is closely tied to developing a workforce with the talent, creativity, and knowledge to innovate in STEM fields.

The Georgia Science Teachers Association believes that the time has come for the existing Georgia Performance Standards in science to be reviewed and revised. For the benefit of Georgia’s students, an assessment of our current standards must be completed as soon as possible. We believe that the review should be informed by the vetted research that serves as the foundation of the Next Generation Science Standards and of the Framework for K-12 Science Education. Both of these documents are based on internationally benchmarked research on how students learn science content and college and career readiness, and will prove to be an essential, promising part of strengthening K-12 STEM education in Georgia.

Georgia has the opportunity to take a step towards ensuring that all our students have access to a world-class science education by conducting this review. These internationally benchmarked standards are the work of accomplished, practicing K-16 educators and researchers from 26 states, including Georgia, working together. The standards were developed through a state-led process in which Georgia served as a lead state. Citizens and educators from within our state provided valuable feedback and leadership in every draft of the standards. There is no federal support of these standards and no federal incentives tied to their review or adoption. Our support is founded in a belief that Georgia’s students deserve the right to a science education that provides them with the knowledge, skills, and education they will need to succeed in school and to support our state’s economy at nationally and globally competitive levels.

It is our desire that every child in Georgia will receive a high quality science education that will prepare them for life and work in the 21st century. In order for that to occur, our students need a set of challenging science standards that will provide them with the knowledge and skills needed for success. We strongly encourage Georgia’s elected officials and state leaders to actively support science education for all students by moving forward with this evaluation and review during the 2014-2015 academic year

Your Voice in Atlanta: Advocacy Update

Jeremy Peacock — Tue, 17 Feb 2015 16:18:28 GMT

- T.J. Kaplan, GSTA Legislative Consultant, and GSTA Advocacy Committee

Making Connections
Members of the GSTA presidential chain regularly seek opportunities to connect with key policy makers to speak up on behalf of science education in Georgia. We work to position the organization as a key source information for these policy makers and to advocate for the importance of research-based STEM education. December's Biennial Institute allowed us to connect with several legislators to voice our support for the CCGPS in math and ELA.

In the new year, we are shifting our focus to coming revision of Georgia's science standards. Last month, we met with Pam Williams, who is Governor Deal's newly appointed Education Outreach Coordinator. Mrs. Williams will have a role in education policy within the Governor's office, but she will also act as a self-described "cheerleader" for the good things happening in Georgia's public schools. Consider emailing Mrs. Williams if you would like to highlight an innovative science or STEM program at your school. She is on the lookout for opportunities to visit and highlight schools. This week, we will be visiting the Capitol to connect with legislators and Superintendent Woods. The visit with Mr. Woods will provide an opportunity to follow up on his conference session and continue building a productive relationship with him and his staff.

Legislative Session
As we approach the midpoint in the 2015 Legislative Session, the volume of bills is beginning to grow as is the sense of urgency in the Capitol halls. The first few weeks in early January were marked by the pomp and circumstance of the Governor’s swearing in and inaugural gala. Since that time, there has been steady growth in number of committee meetings and floor votes.

Although no legislation specific to science education has been proposed, we continue to keep a close eye on activity in both chambers. In particular, we closely monitor all meetings of the House Education and the Senate Education and Youth committees. We have established open lines of communication with their respective chairs, Representative Coleman and Senator Tippins.

The 40 day session is currently scheduled to adjourn "Sine Die" on April 2nd. The 30th day of the session, which is scheduled to occur on March 13th, marks “crossover day,” which is the drop dead date for any bill that hopes to reach the Governor’s desk. On that day, all bills must pass out of their chamber of origination by midnight. Any bills that do not meet the deadline can be taken up by the General Assembly in the 2016 session, which will be the second year of the current biennium.

Georgia Teachers Associations Take Stand on Common Core Standards

Jeremy Peacock — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 21:55:41 GMT

GSTA has joined a coalition of Georgia teachers associations in supporting the state's CCGPS standards for ELA and Mathematics. We believe these standards support learning for all of Georgia's students, and we hope to see the state continue moving forward to focus on supporting teachers and students in achieving the high expectations laid out in the CCGPS. We look forward to working with Georgia's education policy makers to provide the best possible education for our students. Please read our full statement on the AJC Get Schooled blog from Maureen Downey. Please consider sharing this post in your personal and professional networks. The following sites provide some useful background information related to the Common Core and to the Next Generation Science Standards.

[via Deborah White, GACIS] In related news, the State Board of Education held a called meeting today via conference call. During that meeting, the Board unanimously approved the recommendation to post revisions to Georgia Performance Standards for ELA and Mathematics for 60 days for public review and comment. During the brief meeting, Martha Reichrath shared the process used and groups involved during the review and drafting of the proposed revisions. Board members’ comments centered on why some of the recommendations were addressed in the guidance document rather than the standards, why multiplication and division were not a stand-alone standard in the early grades, need to define “significant change” and concerns about teacher preparation programs not teaching the standards and how teachers who move to Georgia will be trained. You can view the proposed revisions by following the links below.

GSTA strives to keep our members informed of important developments related to education in our state. We hope you will share information and your opinions with your colleagues and policy makers. Please let me know if you have any questions about these announcements.

Best regards,

Jeremy Peacock

President Elect, Legislative Committee Chair

Final Meeting of the House Study Committee Meeting on the Role of the Federal Government in Education

Jeremy Peacock — Sat, 01 Nov 2014 13:29:20 GMT

Hi everyone,

I spent the day and much of the evening Tuesday, October 21st, at the final meeting of the House study committee on the federal government's role in education in Georgia. While the scope of the committee was very broad, much of the discussion within the meetings focused on the Common Core standards and whether Georgia should reconsider our adoption of the CCGPS in math and ELA. I spoke on behalf of the Georgia Science Teachers Association and communicated our position that, not only should we stay the course with the CCGPS, but that we should move into a review and revision of our science standards to align those with the Framework for Science Education and the NGSS. This is a much stronger position than the DOE is taking at this point, but we are trying to drive the discussion forward. My presentation was based on GSTA's recently adopted position statement on science standards. You can view video archives and presentation materials from all four meetings on the committee website.

Speakers at the meeting where evenly divided among proponents and opponents of the Common Core standards. One theme from both sides of the debate was that we may need to reconsider our heavy reliance on standardized testing. Another big theme from Common Core proponents is that, regardless of the standards, teachers need support in the form of professional learning and instructional resources. Common Core proponents also emphasized that the CCGPS offer greater promise for supporting learning among economically-disadvantaged and minority students. Common Core opponents spoke about the virtues of traditional approaches to education, and some lodged highly political attacks on the standards. The educators (teachers, board members, and superintendents) on the committee were very supportive of the standards. They tended to challenge Common Core opponents and ask supportive questions of Common Core proponents. The legislators were not as enthusiastic, but still appeared to support the standards. The fact that the committee chairman invited speakers from Achieve and College Board seems to be telling. Even more telling is that Achieve's president led off the meeting and the College Board representative, Trevor Packer, was scheduled to speak after a critic of the new APUSH framework.

The committee will issue a report by December 1st. This committee will not take any direct action, but that report will influence any direction the legislature might take when they come into session. Following the publication of that report, GSTA will continue to use our standards position statement as a basis for communication with education policy makers from the legislature, DOE, SBOE, and Governor's office.

GSTA is also working with GCTM, GCTE, GCSS, and the Georgia STEAM Alliance Network to publish an op-ed related to standards and instruction in Georgia. We will share that as soon as it is published. We will also be running an exhibitor's booth at the Biennial Institute in December. That event is a professional learning conference for legislators hosted by UGA's Carl Vinson Institute of Government.

Regards,
Jeremy Peacock
GSTA Legislative Committee Chair

State BOE District 6 Public Hearing on CCGPS

Jeremy Peacock — Fri, 15 Aug 2014 00:38:51 GMT

GSTA is posting this following press release from the Georgia DOE to keep our members in Congressional District 6 informed of this opportunity for public input on educational standards in Georgia. This Congressional District 6 (see map) includes northern portions of Fulton and DeKalb Counties and the northeastern portion of Cobb County.

Barbara Hampton to Host State Board of Education Sixth District Public Hearing

The State Board of Education will hold a public hearing for citizens in the Sixth Congressional District on Tuesday, August 19, 2014. The meeting will be held from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Dunwoody High School, 5035 Vermack Road, Dunwoody, GA.

The purpose of the hearing is to hear comments from interested citizens and educators within the congressional district regarding the performance and problems of public education. This includes hearing comments about the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards in Mathematics and English Language Arts as part of the State Board’s formal evaluation of these standards.

Persons wishing to speak should sign in upon arrival. For more information, please contact Mrs. Debbie Caputo at 404-657-7410.

The Georgia Department of Education does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission to, access to, or operations of its programs, services or activities. Individuals who need assistance or auxiliary aids for participation in this public forum are invited to make their needs known to Mrs. Debbie Caputo at (404) 657-7410, no later than 72 hours before the scheduled event.

State BOE District 13 Public Hearing on CCGPS

Jeremy Peacock — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 02:19:55 GMT

GSTA is forwarding the following press release from the Georgia DOE to keep our members in Congressional District 13 informed of this opportunity for public input on educational standards in Georgia. This Congressional District 13 (see map) includes all of Douglas County and portions of Cobb, Fulton, Fayette, Clayton, and Henry Counties.

Dr. Mary Sue Murray to Host State Board of Education Thirteenth District Public Hearing

State Board of Education member Dr. Mary Sue Murray will hold a public hearing for citizens in the Thirteenth Congressional District on Tuesday, August 12, 2014. The meeting will be held from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Alexander High School, 6500 Alexander Parkway, Douglasville, GA.

The purpose of the hearing is to hear comments from interested citizens and educators within the congressional district regarding the performance and problems of public education. This includes hearing comments about the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards in Mathematics and English Language Arts as part of the State Board’s formal evaluation of these standards.

As part of the board's evaluation of the CCGPS standards, each State Board of Education member will hold a public hearing in their congressional district. This is the first of those hearings.

Persons wishing to speak should sign in upon arrival. For more information, please contact Mrs. Debbie Caputo at 404-657-7410.

The Georgia Department of Education does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission to, access to, or operations of its programs, services or activities. Individuals who need assistance or auxiliary aids for participation in this public forum are invited to make their needs known to Mrs. Debbie Caputo at (404) 657-7410, no later than 72 hours before the scheduled event.

See the original press release at: http://www.gadoe.org/External-Affairs-and-Policy/communications/Pages/PressReleaseDetails.aspx?PressView=default&pid=210#sthash.6FSRQSf8.dpuf

HR550 - Second Meeting Scheduled for Public Input

Jeremy Peacock — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 01:51:47 GMT

The following message was forwarded from GSTA's legislative consultant, Tyler Kaplan. Please watch for more information later this week.

The second meeting of the House Study Committee on the Role of Federal Government in Education will be held Monday, August 25th at 10am at LVIS Student Center at Georgia Gwinnett College, 1000 University Center Lane Lawrenceville, GA 30043.
Georgia Gwinnett College is under construction right now. Please use the directions below to assist you as your GPS may not be accurate. There will be directional signs to help with parking.

The agenda has not been set at this time.

Directions from Downtown Atlanta:
Take I-85 to GA 316 East. At Riverside Drive (2nd Exit), turn left onto Riverside. Cross Duluth Highway and stay straight until Riverside ends. Turn right onto Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road. At first traffic light, turn left onto Walther Boulevard. Just past the C-3 Church on your left, turn left onto Tree Creek Boulevard. At second left, turn left onto Lonnie Harvel Boulevard. The first stop sign on the right will take you into the parking lot.

Directions from Athens:
Take 316-West. After Highway 20, you will go under the Collins Hill Bridge. The Campus will be on your right. At the next right, just past the campus, is Walther Boulevard. Turn right there onto Walther. Go past the apartments and turn at the next right onto Tree Creek Boulevard. At second left, turn left onto Lonnie Harvel Boulevard. Go to the fourth stop sign and turn right. At the next stop sign, stay straight (you will be in a huge parking lot). At the last left, turn left and park in the reserved spaces (there will be an orange cone in front of them).

If you would like to be on the agenda and give a presentation to the committee you will need to contact Cortney Gillham,Cortney.gillham@house.ga.gov, with your topic and a presentation will need to be sent to her by Thursday, August 21st at 5:00pm. You will also be required to bring 25 copies of your presentation for the committee members prior to the start of the meeting so that they may be distributed. There will be time for public comment at the end of the meeting. You do NOT need to contact Cortney Gillham if you plan on speaking during the public comment portion of the meeting, only if you would like to be on the agenda. The Chairmen prefer that you make your presentations Georgia specific and provide specific examples if possible.

HR 550 - House Study Committee on the Role of Federal Government in Education, Initial Meeting

Jeremy Peacock — Thu, 31 Jul 2014 18:37:58 GMT

We attended the HR 550 initial meeting [View agenda] yesterday and have provided an outline of the proceedings below. The meeting consisted of high-level overviews and explanations of DoE, BoE and Federal Education grant policies and procedures. There was little to no discussion on intended action or opposing viewpoints. [Download a video archive of the meeting] GSTA is closely monitoring developments in the Common Core debate, as decisions related to Common Core standards in Georgia may impact the review and revision process for the state's science standards.

The relevant discussion from this group will come in the later meetings closer to September. As of now it appears that there will be three more meetings. One in late August, September and October. We will keep you informed of any developments.

The panel of lawmakers, teachers and parents appointed by Speaker David Ralston to explore Common Core and the federal government's role in Georgia's K-12 education system held their first meeting in late July at the State Capitol. [View committee membership]
The meeting was almost entirely informational, and did not include any testimony or public comment. Dr. John Barge gave a detailed explanation of the origins of Common Core, which was followed by supporting information from a number of his staff members. [View Dr. Barge's presentation]
Clara Keith and Susan Andrews both gave lengthy overviews of the process related to federal grants, including Race to the Top. Also of interest was a discussion from Jennifer Hackemeyer about the status of data sharing in local school districts. She noted that data sharing both within school districts and across the state is cumbersome, but the development of a longitudinal data system has been helpful. [View presentation]
There was also a brief discussion from Melissa Fincher, Director of Assessment at DOE, about the Georgia Milestones Assessment system and the high hopes that they have for its performance.
Moving forward the consultants will monitor the final three meetings of this study committee. Meetings will be held across the state toward the end of each of the upcoming three months. They will likely be held in Gwinnett, Milledgeville and Hall County, respectively.

Tyler J. Kaplan

Legislative Director

J.L. Morgan Company