--- title: HB 23. Student Success and Progress Act; enact collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb23 cite_as: HB 23, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb23 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb23.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb23/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69303 date: 2025-02-11 status: introduced corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb22.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb24.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 189 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb23.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 23 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-01-13 last_action: House Withdrawn Bill/Res Consideration sponsors: - Sandra Scott - Kim Schofield - Viola Davis text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB23/2025 upstream_id: 1916799 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - public schools - early intervention program - English language learners - teacher training - parent notification --- # HB 23. Student Success and Progress Act; enact ## Text House Bill 23 By: Representatives Scott of the 76th, Schofield of the 63rd, and Davis of the 87th A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Part 3 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to educational programs under the "Quality Basic Education Act," so as to require schools to provide progress reports to parents or legal guardians of students in the early intervention program; to require the Department of Education to collaborate with the Professional Standards Commission to improve and update professional development opportunities for teachers that specifically relate to early intervention; to require that schools provide progress reports to parents or legal guardians of students in the English for speakers of other languages program; to require the Department of Education to collaborate with the Professional Standards Commission to improve and update professional development opportunities for teachers that specifically relate to supporting limited-English-proficient students; to provide for related matters; to provide a short title; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: SECTION 1. This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Student Success and Progress Act." SECTION 2. Part 3 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to educational programs under the "Quality Basic Education Act," is amended by revising Code Section 20-2-153, relating to early intervention program for students at risk of not reaching or maintaining academic grade level, as follows: "20-2-153. (a) The State Board of Education shall create and each local board of education shall provide an early intervention program to serve students in kindergarten through grade five. The kindergarten early intervention program shall serve students enrolled in kindergarten. The primary grades early intervention program shall serve students enrolled in grades one through three. The upper elementary grades early intervention program shall serve students in grades four through and five. (b) The early intervention program shall serve students who are at risk of not reaching or maintaining academic grade level, including, but not limited to, students who are identified through the first grade readiness assessment required by Code Sections 20-2-151 and 20-2-281 and students with identified academic performance below grade levels defined by the Office of Student Achievement in Code Section 20-14-31 for any criterion-referenced assessment administered in accordance with Code Section 20-2-281 for grades one through five. Local school systems shall devise a process for the identification of such students at the beginning of each school year and also during the school year as a continuous process of early identification and monitoring. School Local school systems may use indicators such as, but not limited to, the student's scores on previous assessments, the student's classroom performance in the same or previous years, and other reliable indicators to identify such students. A student shall be assigned to the early intervention program as soon as is practicable after the student is identified as at risk or after the results of the first-grade readiness assessment, the criterion-referenced assessment, or other indicators are known. The school shall provide timely notice and an opportunity for a conference with the student and his or her parents or guardians to discuss the student's academic performance and the role of the early intervention program. The school shall provide the student's parents or guardians with a report on the student's academic performance and progress in such program at least twice each semester. (c) The State Board of Education shall describe by rules and regulations such additional services, resources, support, or strategies as may be provided by the local school system. The specifications for delivery of early intervention services shall be the responsibility of local boards of education except that the program rules and regulations adopted by the State Board of Education shall be followed in designing the program delivery models. Delivery models may include, but are not limited to, class augmentation, pull-out or self-contained classes, and the Reading Recovery Program delivered by certificated personnel. (d) The early intervention program shall be designed with the intent of helping the student to perform at expectations and exit the program in the shortest possible time. Students shall be moved into this program, provided assistance, and moved out of this program upon reaching grade level performance. It is not the intent of the General Assembly that students be assigned to this program on a continuing or permanent basis. (e) Funding for the early intervention program shall have a full-time equivalent teacher-student ratio of one teacher to 11 students. (f) Each local school system shall annually report the number of students served in the early intervention program as part of the full-time equivalent program count conducted pursuant to Code Section 20-2-160. (g) The Department of Education shall collaborate with the Professional Standards Commission to improve and update professional development opportunities for teachers that specifically relate to early intervention." SECTION 3. Said part is further amended by revising Code Section 20-2-156, relating to program for limited-English-proficient students, as follows: "20-2-156. (a) The State Board of Education shall create a program for limited-English-proficient students whose native language is not English, subject to appropriation by the General Assembly. The purpose of this the program is to assist such students to develop proficiency in the English language, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing, sufficient to perform effectively at the currently their assigned grade level. The state board State Board of Education shall prescribe such rules and regulations regarding eligibility criteria and standards as may be needed necessary to carry out the provisions of this Code section. This The program may also be referred to as the English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) program. (b) The school in which a student in the English for speakers of other languages program is enrolled shall provide the student's parents or guardians with a report on the student's academic performance and progress in such program at least twice each semester. (c) The Department of Education shall collaborate with the Professional Standards Commission to improve and update professional development opportunities for teachers that specifically relate to supporting limited-English-proficient students." SECTION 4. All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary. House Bill 23 would require Georgia public schools to send parents regular progress reports for children in early intervention and English language learner programs, and require the Department of Education to update teacher training for those programs. ### Plain-language summary Georgia runs an early intervention program for students in kindergarten through fifth grade who are behind academically, and a separate program (ESOL) for students still learning English. Current law requires schools to notify parents and offer a conference when a child is placed in the early intervention program, but it does not require ongoing updates on how the child is doing once enrolled. This bill, called the Student Success and Progress Act, changes both programs. Schools would have to give parents or guardians a written report on their child's academic performance and progress in the early intervention program at least twice each semester, and do the same for students in the ESOL program. The bill also directs the Department of Education to work with the Professional Standards Commission to improve teacher training specifically focused on early intervention and on supporting students who are still learning English. Minor wording updates are also made to the existing code sections. ### What it does - Requires schools to give parents or guardians of early intervention students a progress report on academic performance at least twice each semester. - Requires schools to give parents or guardians of English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) program students a similar progress report at least twice each semester. - Directs the Department of Education to work with the Professional Standards Commission to improve teacher training focused on early intervention. - Directs the Department of Education to work with the Professional Standards Commission to improve teacher training focused on supporting limited-English-proficient students. - Makes small technical wording changes to the early intervention and ESOL sections of Georgia's Quality Basic Education Act, such as clarifying grade ranges and terminology. ### Who it affects Parents and guardians of students in the early intervention program (grades kindergarten through five) and the ESOL program, the students themselves, local school systems and teachers who must produce and deliver the reports, and the Department of Education and Professional Standards Commission, which must revise teacher training. ### Why it matters Parents would get regular, required updates on how their child is doing in these support programs rather than relying on informal communication, letting them track progress and raise concerns sooner. Teachers would also receive updated training aimed at these specific student populations. ### Key provisions - Section 1 names the bill the 'Student Success and Progress Act.' - Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 20-2-153 to require schools to report on early intervention students' academic performance and progress to parents or guardians at least twice each semester. - Section 2 also adds a new subsection (g) requiring the Department of Education to collaborate with the Professional Standards Commission on teacher training for early intervention. - Section 3 amends O.C.G.A. § 20-2-156 to add a new subsection (b) requiring similar twice-a-semester progress reports for parents or guardians of ESOL students. - Section 3 also adds subsection (c) requiring collaboration between the Department of Education and the Professional Standards Commission to improve teacher training for supporting limited-English-proficient students. - Section 4 repeals any conflicting laws. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2025-01-13) - Last action: House Withdrawn Bill/Res Consideration (2025-02-11) - Sponsors: Sandra Scott, Kim Schofield, Viola Davis - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69303 > The history, votes, and amendments (189 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb23.md?full=1