Yesterday, Senate Bill 93 achieved final passage by the Georgia General Assembly following an amendment made by the House. It will task the Professional Standards Commission with establishing rules requiring evidence-based reading instruction aligned with the science of reading.
“I’m thrilled to see my first bill pass through the legislative process,” said Sen. RaShaun Kemp (D–Atlanta). “Current strategies used to teach literacy include methods that teach students to guess rather than read, preventing them from reaching their full potential. I’ve seen firsthand how crucial this legislation is. I know we can be better, and I’m proud to see our legislative body take much-needed steps to help make Georgia the number one state for literacy. I look forward to the Governor signing this bill into law and, most importantly, seeing its real impact in classrooms and communities across our state.”
The rules adopted by the Professional Standards Commission will also provide teachers with better strategies to assist English language learners and students with disabilities. They will also help teachers identify students with reading deficiencies early in their education and give them new approaches to differentiate instruction based on student needs.
SB 93 can be found here.
