06 AM 33
0375
LOST
Senator
Thompson of the 33rd offered the following amendment:
Amend
SB 390 (LC 33 1086-EC) by inserting after
"2008;"
on line 8 of page 1 the following:
to
amend Code Section 20-2-182, relating to program weights, so as to change
certain provisions relating to maximum class sizes;
By
inserting between lines 13 and 14 of page 3 the following:
SECTION
2A.
Code
Section 20-2-182 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to program
weights, is amended by striking the first four sentences of subsection (i) and
inserting in lieu thereof the following:
∀(i)
The State Board of Education shall adopt for each instructional program
authorized pursuant to Part 3 of this article and the middle school program
provided for in Code Section 20-2-290 the maximum number of students which may
be taught by a teacher in an instructional period. The State Board of Education
shall provide for a
system
average maximum class size that shall not
exceed the funding class size by more than 20 percent for mathematics, science,
social studies, or language arts classes, unless specifically authorized by the
State Board of Education. The
system
average maximum class size for
kindergarten and grades one through three shall not exceed 20 percent over the
funding ratio except for art, music, or physical education classes; provided,
further, that the
system
average maximum class size for special
education, gifted, and English for speakers of other languages classes shall be
set by the State Board of Education. For each instructional program, the
maximum number of students who may be taught by a teacher in an instructional
period shall not exceed the
system
average maximum class size for the program
by more than two students; provided, however, that a
system
average maximum class size which results
in a fractional full-time equivalent shall be rounded up to the nearest whole
number.∀