James May-June 2023 web - Flipbook - Page 51
On June 29, 1993, Gov. Zell Miller bought the first
lottery ticket. Voters had approved Miller’s ambitious
education agenda, which addressed two threats to Georgia’s economic prosperity— too few five-year-olds were
ready for kindergarten and reading on grade level by third
grade, and too few adults had earned post-secondary credentials. While the governor’s ticket was not a winner on
that Tuesday in June 30 years ago, plenty of Georgians—
upwards of 3.7 million— have since benefited from the
lottery through its funding of the Georgia Pre-K and HOPE
Scholarship programs.
The pandemic reminded Georgians that we currently
stand at a similar crossroads as we did in 1993. Today, low
literacy skills and poverty continue to threaten individual
well-being and undermine state economic growth. Further,
the mismatch between worker skills and employer needs
continues to widen. If these threats are not addressed, more
Georgians will be prevented from earning family-sustaining wages, and Georgia businesses will find it increasingly
harder to hire and retain qualified employees.
That’s why the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in
Education commends the General Assembly for prioritizing early literacy and workforce development during the
2023 session. The session ended with some legislative
wins to address these issues and suggest a path forward
for policymakers interested in accelerating positive outcomes for all Georgians.
In the area of literacy, the General Assembly passed
House Bill 538 and Senate Bill 211. HB 538, sponsored by
freshman Bethany Ballard, R-Warner Robins, establishes a
timeline for the state Board of Education and local school
boards to implement the Georgia Early Literacy Act. The
table opposite summarizes the 20-month timeline contemplated in the legislation.
HB 538 requires elementary schools to provide instructional support for K-3 teachers on the science of reading,
structured literacy, foundational literacy skills, and evidence-based decision-making, as well as the Georgia
Professional Standards Commission to ensure educator
Timeline
BY JANUARY 1, 2024 The State Board of Education shall
(1) approve high-quality instructional materials to
teach K-3 student to read, (2) establish a procedure
for public schools and local school systems to certify
locally approved instructional materials, and (3) set
procedures for vendors to submit universal reading
screeners for inclusion on the board’s approved list.
BY JULY 1, 2024 The State Board of Education approves
the list of universal screeners.
BY AUGUST 1, 2024 Public schools implement tiered
reading intervention plans for K-3 students exhibiting significant reading deficiencies as measured by
performance on universal reading screeners approved by the State Board.
BY DECEMBER 1, 2024 Local boards of education approve
high-quality instructional materials.
BY DECEMBER 15, 2024 & SUBSEQUENT YEARS Local boards of
education certify approved instructional materials.
licensure assessments evaluate candidates’ ability to employ developmentally appropriate literacy strategies.
SB 211, sponsored by Higher Education Committee
Chairman Billy Hickman, establishes the Georgia Council
of Literacy. The bill outlines the council’s 12 duties, including implementing the requirements of the Georgia Early
Literacy Act (HB 538), identifying best practices, and recommending changes to educator professional learning, K-5
literacy initiatives and community-based literacy programs.
While HB 538 focuses on reforming systems of support for
early readers and elementary education educators, SB 211
continued
MORE
THAN
TO EDUCATION SINCE INCEPTION
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