07 LC 18
6492
House
Bill 877
By:
Representatives Crawford of the
16th,
Ashe of the
56th,
Reece of the
11th,
Buckner of the
130th,
Porter of the
143rd,
and others
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Part 3 of Article 2 of Chapter 14 of Title 20 of the Official Code of
Georgia Annotated, relating to accountability assessment with respect to the
Education Coordinating Council, so as to establish averaged freshman graduation
rate as an additional performance indicator; to provide for a definition; to
require state agencies and local schools and school systems to utilize certain
terminology; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Part
3 of Article 2 of Chapter 14 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to accountability assessment with respect to the Education
Coordinating Council, is amended by revising Code Section 20-14-33, relating to
indicators of quality of learning in individual schools and school systems, as
follows:
"20-14-33.
(a)
The office shall adopt and biennially review, and revise as necessary,
indicators of the quality of learning by students in an individual school and
school system.
(b)
The performance indicators of student achievement and school performance must be
based on information that is disaggregated with respect to ethnicity, sex,
disability, language proficiency, and socioeconomic status and must
include:
(1)
The results of assessment instruments required under Code Section 20-2-281,
aggregated by grade level and subject area;
(2)
Dropout rates for each school;
(3)
Student attendance rates for each school;
(4)
School completion rates for each school;
(5)
The percentage of graduating students who attain scores on the Georgia high
school graduation test required under Code Section 20-2-281 that are equivalent
to a passing score on the test instrument until such time as the Georgia high
school graduation test is discontinued as provided in Code Section
20-2-281;
(6)
The percentage of graduating students who meet the course requirements
established for the recommended high school program by State Board of Education
rule;
(7)
The percentage of students taking end-of-course assessment instruments under
Code Section 20-2-281;
(8)
The percentage of high school students who pass the end-of-course assessment
instrument in core subjects;
(9)
The results of the Scholastic Assessment Test or the ACT
Assessment;
(10)
The percentage of students taking alternate assessments under subsection (d) of
Code Section 20-2-281;
(11)
The average time that a student placed in an early intervention program remains
before attaining grade level status and returning to regular status;
and
(12)(A)
The averaged freshman graduation rate for each school.
(B)
For purposes of this paragraph, the term 'averaged freshman graduation rate'
shall mean the numerical rate determined by dividing the number of high school
graduates in a given year by the average of the number of students who entered
eighth grade five years earlier, the number who entered ninth grade four years
earlier, and the number who entered tenth grade three years earlier;
and
(13)
Any other indicator the office adopts.
(c)
Performance on the indicator shall be compared to state standards, progress on
improved student achievement, and comparable performance. The standards for
comparison shall be established by the office as provided in Code Section
20-14-31. Data and information regarding the standard shall be included in the
annual report provided for in paragraph (2) of subsection (a) of Code Section
20-14-27.
(d)
The office shall establish individual school and school system ratings for each
public school and school system in this state for annual academic performance on
the assessment instruments required under Code Section 20-2-281.
(e)
Each school system shall provide all student performance data and all other
student school completion and attendance data to the Department of
Education´s educational information system in accordance with rules and
timelines established by the State Board of Education.
(f)
The office shall develop and the State Board of Education shall adopt a uniform
definition of 'dropout.' All schools and school systems shall report student
dropout information to the Department of Education´s educational
information system in accordance with rules and timelines established by the
state board as provided in subsection (b) of Code Section 20-2-167. Each school
system shall cooperate with the office in determining whether a student is a
dropout under this subsection and shall adopt the uniform definition of
'dropout.' Data and information regarding the establishment of the definition
and the tracking of dropout and school completion data shall be included in the
annual report provided for in paragraph (2) of subsection (a) of Code Section
20-14-27.
(g)
The office shall develop and the State Board of Education shall adopt a uniform
definition of a 'below grade level' student for purposes of placing students in
the early intervention program under Code Section 20-2-153 and for purposes of
tracking these students for accountability purposes. Data and information
regarding the establishment of the definition shall be included in the annual
report provided for in paragraph (2) of subsection (a) of Code Section
20-14-27.
(h)
The office shall annually review the performance of each school and school
system on the indicators in subsection (b) of this Code section and determine
whether a change in the school or school system rating status of the school or
school system is warranted.
(i)
Each state agency and local school and school system shall be required to use
the definition of averaged freshman graduation rate specified in paragraph (12)
of subsection (b) of this Code section in any report or publication it issues
regarding performance indicators of
students."
SECTION
2.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.