Governor Brian Kemp’s plans to cut the number of tests Georgia students are required to take earned a passing grade Monday. Members of the Senate Youth and Education Committee gave their approval to Senate Bill 367, paving its way to move on to the full Senate for a vote.
The “do-pass” recommendation came after a number of educational leaders and advocates spoke on behalf of the bill. Senator P.K. Martin (R-Lawrenceville), Chairman of the Senate Education and Youth Committee and sponsor of the bill, says the legislation will cut the number of tests students are required to take. Four of the five tests eliminated would be in the high school grades, and the fifth would be a social studies test for fifth graders. Officials said the tests to be eliminated would include American literature, geometry, physical science and economics.
Sen. Lindsey Tippins (R-Marietta) said he would like to see the cost savings which would result from eliminating these tests. He sponsored similar legislation in 2016 — when he was Chairman of the Senate Education Committee — that eliminated eight social studies and science tests in elementary and middle school, reducing the number of tests to the current 24. He added that with the elimination of tests, the state needs to ensure it has a “good measure of student achievement in place.” Tippins voted in favor of the bill, but said he felt it “needs some work.”
Dr. Monica Henson, Superintendent of schools operated by the Department of Juvenile Justice, was among those speaking in favor of the bill Monday. Gwinnett County School Superintendent Dr. Alvin Wilbanks also spoke on behalf of the bill.
“We would definitely benefit from the legislation,” said Henson. “The majority of the students we serve in our schools lack the credits they need to be on track to graduate — most are a full year behind. The amount of time spent on standardized testing is a barrier for our students trying to catch up.”
One after one, representatives from education advocacy groups testified on behalf of the bill — including reps from the Professional Association of Georgia Educators, Georgia Association of Educators, and the Association of Georgia School Superintendent, who thanked legislators for letting them be part of the bill creation.
The legislation would also allow for flexibility on the timing of the high school writing assessment and make changes to shorten the length of the Georgia Milestones. It would create a testing window which officials say would allow teachers to focus on teaching class subjects rather than preparing for exams.
