HB740: HB740 Stop Social Promotion Act; enact

Georgia law already requires local school boards to have placement and promotion policies for grades three, five, and eight, tied to end-of-grade reading and math tests, under what's called the Georgia Academic Placement and Promotion Policy. House Bill 740, titled the Stop Social Promotion Act, extends that same framework down to kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. The bill directs the Department of Education to create promotional standards and criteria for first grade readiness, and it requires the State Board of Education to adopt criteria for kindergarten through second grade placement and promotion policies by January 1, 2026. Local school boards must adopt matching policies by July 1, 2026. The bill sets a phase-in schedule: kindergarten starts in the 2026-2027 school year, first grade in 2027-2028, and second grade in 2028-2029. It also keeps existing protections, including parent notification, retesting, extra instruction, and an appeal process through a placement committee before a student can be held back.

• Directs the Department of Education to develop promotional standards and criteria for first grade readiness, replacing looser 'guidelines' language in current law.
• Extends Georgia's existing grade-retention framework, previously applied at grades three, five, and eight, to also cover kindergarten, first grade, and second grade.
• Requires the State Board of Education to adopt placement and promotion criteria for kindergarten through second grade by January 1, 2026.
• Requires local school boards to adopt matching kindergarten through second grade placement and promotion policies by July 1, 2026.
• Sets a phase-in schedule starting kindergarten retention rules in 2026-2027, first grade in 2027-2028, and second grade in 2028-2029.
• Keeps the existing process for retained students: written parental notice, retesting, extra instruction, and a placement committee appeal requiring a unanimous vote to promote.

Public school students in kindergarten through second grade and their parents or guardians, classroom teachers, school principals, local school boards, and the Department of Education and State Board of Education, which must write new statewide standards and timelines.

If enacted, more young Georgia students could be held back a grade based on reading or readiness benchmarks rather than automatically advancing with their age group. Families would face new notification and appeal steps, and schools would need new testing, instruction, and committee procedures for younger grades.

• Section 1 names the bill the 'Stop Social Promotion Act.'
• Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 20-2-151 so readiness information is used by the Department of Education to develop formal promotional standards and criteria for first grade, not just guidelines.
• Section 3 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 20-2-283 to add kindergarten, first grade, and second grade to the list of grades where a student can be held back for not meeting reading or readiness benchmarks, alongside existing third, fifth, and eighth grade rules.
• Section 3 preserves the retention process: written notice to parents, a retest, additional instruction, and, if the student still falls short, an option to appeal to a placement committee that can promote only by unanimous vote.
• Section 4 amends O.C.G.A. § 20-2-284 to require local school boards to adopt kindergarten through second grade placement and promotion policies by July 1, 2026.
• Section 5 amends O.C.G.A. § 20-2-285 to set the implementation timetable: kindergarten in 2026-2027, first grade in 2027-2028, and second grade in 2028-2029.
• Section 6 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-03-11House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-03-10House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-03-06House Hopper (House)

• Sandra Scott (D, HD-076)Primary sponsor
• Viola Davis (D, HD-087)
• Kim Schofield (D, HD-063)

• grade retention
• kindergarten policy
• public schools
• reading assessments
• Georgia education law