---
title: SB 459. "Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026"; enact
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb459
cite_as: SB 459, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb459
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb459.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb459/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72833
date: 2026-02-05
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.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 95
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb459.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 459
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-02-04
last_action: Senate Read and Referred
sponsors:
  - Billy Hickman
  - Larry Walker
  - Jason Anavitarte
  - Shawn Still
  - Chuck Payne
  - Ricky Williams
  - Marty Harbin
  - Max Burns
  - Drew Echols
  - Timothy Bearden
  - Brian Strickland
  - Russ Goodman
  - Bo Hatchett
  - RaShaun Kemp
  - Clint Dixon
  - Bill Cowsert
  - Elena Parent
  - Sonya Halpern
  - Mike Hodges
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB459/2025
upstream_id: 2108145
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - early literacy
  - kindergarten requirements
  - reading instruction
  - school funding
  - teacher certification
---

# SB 459. "Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026"; enact

## Text

Senate Bill 459
By: Senators Hickman of the 4th, Walker III of the 20th, Anavitarte of the 31st, Still of the
48th, Payne of the 54th and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to education, so as to
promote and advance state-wide literacy and reading education efforts; to include Quality
Basic Education funding for school based literacy coaches in each public school in this state
with students in any of grades kindergarten through three; to require all children to attend
kindergarten prior to enrolling in first grade, subject to exception; to encourage families to
have their children attend school or a home study program beginning at age five; to provide
for first grade readiness assessments; to require annual reports regarding first grade
readiness; to revise provisions relative to grade placement, promotion, and retention; to
provide for literacy coaching endorsements for certificated professional personnel; to
substantially revise the "Georgia Early Literacy and Dyslexia Act"; to include legislative
intent; to provide for a definition; to revise provisions of said act relative to the selection of
and requirements for universal reading screeners; to revise provisions for professional
learning; to require local school systems and other public schools to have unified literacy
plans; to revise provisions for educator preparation programs and the evaluation of such
programs by the Professional Standards Commission; to provide for regional literacy coaches
employed by regional educational service agencies; to provide for certification of and
funding for high-quality instructional materials; to establish within the Office of Student
Achievement the Georgia Literacy Coordinating Committee; to provide for the Georgia
Director of Literacy; to provide for the Georgia Coordinator of Literacy Coaches; to repeal
the Georgia Literacy Coach; to provide for a position description and minimum qualifications
and duties for school based literacy coaches and regional literacy coaches; to establish the
Georgia Literacy Task Force; to provide for appointment, qualifications, duties, and
compensation of members of such task force; to provide for recommendations of such task
force; to provide for consideration of such recommendations by the State Board of
Education; to provide for a comprehensive state-wide promotional campaign for literacy
awareness; to provide a short title; to provide for an effective date; to provide for related
matters; 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 "Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026."
SECTION 2.
Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to education, is amended in
Article 4 of Chapter 1, relating to the Council on Literacy, by revising subsection (e) of Code
Section 20-1-42, relating to membership, terms, cooperation, and Literacy Coach, as follows:
"(e) The council shall be attached for administrative purposes only to the Office of Student
Achievement. The Office of Student Achievement shall provide staff support for the
council and shall hire an individual to serve as Georgia <del>Literacy Coach</del> <ins>Director of Literacy
</ins> who shall be responsible for coordination of such staff support and for working in
coordination with the literacy related efforts of the Alliance of Education Agency Heads.
The Office of Student Achievement shall use any funds specifically appropriated to support
the work of the council for such purpose."
SECTION 3.
Said title is further amended in Part 3 of Article 6 of Chapter 2, relating to educational
programs under the "Quality Basic Education Act," by revising subsection (c) of Code
Section 20-2-150, relating to eligibility for enrollment for educational programs, as follows:
"(c) All children enrolled for 20 school days or more in the public schools of this state
prior to their <del>seventh</del> <ins>fifth</ins> birthday shall become subject to all of the provisions of this
article, the provisions of Code Sections 20-2-690 through 20-2-701, and the rules and
regulations of the State Board of Education relating to compulsory school attendance even
though they have not attained <del>seven</del> <ins>five</ins> years of age."
SECTION 4.
Said title is further amended in said part by revising paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (b)
of Code Section 20-2-151, relating to general and career education programs, purpose, and
authorized programs, as follows:
"(1)(A) All local school systems <del>may</del> <ins>shall</ins> offer a full-day kindergarten program. <ins>As
used in</ins> <del>For purposes of</del> this subsection, the term 'full-day kindergarten program' means
a student is provided classroom instruction for a minimum of four and one-half hours
daily for a 180 day school year, or the equivalent thereof as determined in accordance
with State Board of Education guidelines.
(B) It is the policy of this state that <ins>all children shall attend a full-day kindergarten
program prior to enrolling in first grade and that</ins> the purposes of <del>the kindergarten</del> <ins>such
</ins> program shall be to provide all children with an equal opportunity to become prepared
for a successful first grade experience and to acquire the foundation for academic
progress throughout the students' educational careers. <ins>This subparagraph shall not be
construed or applied to require a child to complete a full school year of kindergarten
prior to enrolling in first grade. A child who has been assessed as ready for first grade,
as provided for in paragraph (2) of this subsection, and who meets the age eligibility
requirement may be placed in or promoted to first grade.
</ins>
<ins>(C)</ins> To be eligible for enrollment in a state supported kindergarten program, a child
<del>must</del> <ins>shall</ins> attain the age of five by September 1, except as otherwise provided by
subsection (b) of Code Section 20-2-150.
<ins>(D) No student shall remain in kindergarten for more than two years.
(E) At the discretion of the school principal, a student who meets the age eligibility
requirement for enrollment in the first grade may be assessed for first grade readiness
as provided for in paragraph (2) of this subsection;
(2)(A)</ins> It is the policy of this state that the purpose of the primary grades program shall
be mastery by enrolled students of the essential basic skills and knowledge which will
enable them to achieve more advanced skills and knowledge offered at the higher grade
levels. For purposes of funding under this article, the primary grades program shall
include grades one, two, and three.
<ins>(B)</ins> To be eligible for enrollment in the first grade of a state supported primary grades
program, a child <del>must</del> <ins>shall:
(i) Be assessed for readiness by teachers and other personnel of the local school
system or public school. Such assessment shall include:
(I) The use of assessments, screeners, and other instruments approved for such
purpose by the State Board of Education, including, but not limited to:
(a) The first grade readiness assessment adopted by the State Board of Education
pursuant to Code Section 20-2-281; and
(b) A universal reading screener adopted by the State Board of Education
pursuant to Code Section 20-2-153.1;
(II) Consideration of teacher input and recommendations; and
(III) Other relevant information, which shall include, but shall not be limited to, the
preference of such child's parent or guardian; and
(ii) Attain</ins> <del>attain</del> the age of six by September 1, except as otherwise provided by
subsection (b) of Code Section 20-2-150. <del>The State Board of Education shall adopt
</del>
<del>an instrument or instruments, procedures, and policies necessary to assess the first
grade readiness of children enrolled in Georgia's public school kindergarten programs
pursuant to Code Section 20-2-281. Readiness information obtained by the
instrument or instruments adopted by the state board shall be used by local school
systems in concert with teacher recommendations and other relevant information to
make appropriate student grade placement decisions.
</del> <ins>(C) If, upon being assessed for first grade readiness pursuant to this paragraph, a child
is identified as significantly at risk of not attaining grade level reading proficiency, as
provided for in Code Section 20-2-153.1:
(i) A tiered reading intervention plan shall be immediately developed and
implemented for such child; and
(ii) The parent or guardian of the student shall be notified in writing by first-class
mail by the school principal or the principal's designee regarding the determination
that the student has been identified as significantly at risk of not attaining grade level
reading proficiency prior to beginning the first grade, the student's tiered reading
intervention plan, and the possibility that the student might not be placed or promoted
to the first grade.
(D) When a child who meets the age eligibility requirement for enrollment in the first
grade has been identified as significantly at risk of not attaining grade level reading
proficiency and, after a tiered reading intervention plan has been implemented, the child
continues to be significantly at risk of not attaining grade level reading proficiency, the
following shall occur:
(i) The school principal or the principal's designee shall determine the child is not
ready for placement in or promotion to the first grade program except as otherwise
provided in this paragraph;
(ii) The school principal or the principal's designee shall notify in writing by
first-class mail the parent or guardian of the child regarding the determination that the
</ins>
<ins>child is not ready for placement in or promotion to the first grade program. The
notice shall describe the option of the parent or guardian to appeal such determination
and shall further describe the composition and functions of the placement committee
as provided for in this paragraph, including the requirement that a decision to place
the child in or promote the child to the first grade must be a unanimous decision of
the committee;
(iii) If the parent or guardian appeals the determination that his or her child is not
ready for placement in or promotion to the first grade program, then the school
principal or the principal's designee shall establish a placement committee composed
of the school principal or the principal's designee, the student's parent or guardian, and
the student's teacher, and shall notify in writing by first-class mail the parent or
guardian of the time and place for convening the placement committee;
(iv) The placement committee shall:
(I) Review the child's overall readiness for placement in or promotion to the first
grade program and his or her progress toward grade level reading proficiency;
(II) Decide whether the child shall be placed in or promoted to the first grade
program; provided, however, that a decision to place the child in or promote the
child to the first grade program shall be a unanimous decision; and
(III) Prescribe for the child such accelerated, differentiated, or additional instruction
as needed to perform at grade level by the conclusion of the subsequent school year,
prescribe such additional assessments as may be appropriate in addition to
assessments administered to other students at the grade level during the year, and
provide for a plan of continuous assessment during the subsequent school year in
order to monitor the progress of the child;
(v) For children who are eligible to receive special education or related services, the
child's Individualized Education Plan Committee shall serve as the placement
committee; and
</ins>
<ins>(vi) The decision of the placement committee may be appealed only as provided for
by the local board of education or other public school governing body.
(E) By July 1, 2026, the State Board of Education shall:
(i) Adopt policies and procedures necessary to implement the requirements of this
paragraph; and
(ii) Approve one or more assessments, screeners, and other instruments for assessing
the first grade readiness of children. The State Board of Education shall consider for
approval any assessment, screener, or other instrument recommended by the Office
of Student Achievement.
(F) By July 15, 2026, the</ins> <del>The</del> Department of Education, <ins>in collaboration with the
Office of Student Achievement,</ins> shall develop guidelines for utilization of <del>the
instrument or instruments</del> <ins>such assessments, screeners, and other instruments approved
by the State Board of Education</ins> in grade placement decisions and shall provide such
guidelines <ins>and technical assistance</ins> to local school systems <ins>and public schools.</ins> The
guidelines shall include information pertinent to consideration of the placement of
students who have been identified as being disabled or limited-English-proficient.
<ins>(G)</ins> Whenever the decision is made not to <ins>place a child in or</ins> promote a child to the first
grade, the local school system <ins>or public school</ins> shall document the reasons for <del>the</del> <ins>such
</ins> decision <del>not to promote,</del> according to <ins>policies, procedures, and</ins> guidelines established
by the <del>board</del> <ins>State Board of Education and shall provide such reasons in writing to the
parent or guardian of the child.
(H) By November 1 each year, the Office of Student Achievement shall</ins> <del>The State
School Superintendent may annually</del> provide a report summarizing <del>the results of the
readiness of first grade Georgia public school kindergarten children. No student shall
remain in kindergarten for more than two years</del> <ins>the readiness of Georgia children for
placement in or promotion to the first grade program. Such report shall include, but
shall not be limited to, information on the grade level reading proficiency of such
</ins>
<ins>children. Such report shall be submitted to the Governor; the President of the Senate;
the Speaker of the House of Representatives; the chairpersons of the House Committee
on Education, the Senate Education and Youth Committee, the House Committee on
Higher Education, the Senate Higher Education Committee, the House Committee on
Appropriations, and the Senate Appropriations Committee; and the State Board of
Education.
(I)(i) The provisions of subparagraphs (C) and (D) of this paragraph shall apply
beginning with the 2027-2028 school year and continue thereafter.
(ii) By July 1, 2027. the State Board of Education and the Department of Education
shall update the policies, procedures, guidelines required in subparagraphs (E) and (F)
of this paragraph;"
</ins> SECTION 5.
Said title is further amended in said part by redesignating paragraph (16) of subsection (b)
as paragraph (17), adding a new paragraph to subsection (b), revising subsection (c),
paragraph (2) of subsection (d), and subsection (d.1), repealing and replacing subsection (e),
and adding a new subsection to Code Section 20-2-153.1, the "Georgia Early Literacy and
Dyslexia Act," as follows:
<ins>"(a.1) It is the intent of the General Assembly that:
(1) Early literacy instruction in this state shall be:
(A) Comprehensive;
(B) Focused on structured literacy and foundational literacy skills;
(C) Aligned to the science of reading; and
(D) Anchored by high-quality instructional materials that are aligned to the science of
reading;
</ins>
<ins>(2) Educators shall have access to and be provided with research on the science of
reading and receive comprehensive curriculum based professional learning to support
them in applying such research in instructional practices; and
(3) The ongoing involvement of parents and guardians in comprehensive state-wide
literacy efforts shall be encouraged and integrated into their children's educations."
"(16) 'Unified literacy plan' means a comprehensive, evidence based framework to ensure
coherent, aligned, and continuous literacy development for learners from birth through
career readiness. Such plan shall, as appropriate according to grade levels served:
(A) Establish measurable literacy goals for all tested grade levels, using state-wide
assessment results and approved universal reading screener data to monitor student
progress, guide instructional decision making, and evaluate program effectiveness;
(B) Include explicit strategies for collaboration with early learning providers for
learners from birth to age five to support school readiness and early language
development; and
(C) Establish literacy transition plans for the transition from kindergarten to elementary
school."
</ins> "(c)(1) The board, in consultation with the department and the Office of Student
Achievement, shall establish such policies, rules, and regulations as necessary to
implement uniform grade-appropriate metrics for measuring literacy.
(2) <ins>By March 1, 2027</ins> <del>As soon as practicable but not later than January 1, 2024,</del> the
board shall:
(A) <ins>Upon the recommendation of the Office of Student Achievement, approve
</ins> <del>Approve</del> high-quality instructional materials <ins>aligned to the science of reading</ins> to be
used for teaching students in kindergarten through third grade to read; and
(B) Establish a procedure for each public school and local school system to annually
certify to the department that such school or school system's locally approved
instructional materials and content, as defined in subsection (a) of Code
Section 20-2-1017, constitute high-quality instructional materials <ins>aligned to the science
of reading.
</ins> <del>(3)(A) Every three years beginning in 2027, the center shall review and update, as
appropriate, qualifications, timelines, and submission procedures for education service
providers to submit one or more universal reading screeners to be considered for
inclusion on the board's list of approved universal reading screener providers provided
for in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph.
(B)(3)</del> <ins>By April 1, 2028, and by April 1 every third year thereafter, upon the
recommendation of the Office of Student Achievement a list of no less than two and</ins> <del>As
soon as practicable but not later than May 15, 2025, the board shall approve the
memorandum of agreement between the council and the department, as provided for in
subparagraph (B) of paragraph (4) of this subsection, for a list of</del> no more than five
universal reading screeners, one of which shall be a free universal reading screener, for
use by public schools and local school systems as part of their comprehensive literacy
programs <del>which meet the following criteria</del> <ins>shall be approved by the board. Each such
universal reading screener shall:
</ins> <del>(i) Capable of providing relevant information to assist teachers with targeting
instruction based on student needs;
(ii) Capable of measuring foundational literacy skills;
(iii) Capable of identifying students who are significantly at risk of not attaining
grade level reading proficiency, including, but not limited to, identifying students with
characteristics of dyslexia;
(iv) Prescribed parameters on the time required to administer a universal reading
screener with the primary objective of such prescription being to minimize impacts
on instructional time; and
(v) Capable of progress monitoring.
</del> <ins>(A) Provide screening and diagnostic capabilities for monitoring student progress;
</ins>
<ins>(B) Measure, at a minimum, a student's foundational reading skills, including, but not
limited to, a student's phonological awareness, oral language, the alphabetic principle,
including letter naming, letter sound, and sound letter correspondences, decoding,
encoding, accuracy, vocabulary, and comprehension;
(C) Identify students who are significantly at risk of not attaining grade level reading
proficiency, including, but not limited to, identifying students with characteristics of
dyslexia; and
(D) Have robust reporting capabilities, including, but not limited to, the capability to
generate and provide directly to the department and the Office of Student Achievement
reports of screener results by:
(i) Student;
(ii) Student subgroups based on grade level, educational program, demographic
characteristics, and other criteria identified by the Georgia Literacy Task Force;
(iii) Teacher;
(iv) School; and
(v) Local school system.
</ins> <del>(4)(A)</del> <ins>The</ins> <del>By July 15each year, the</del> department shall publish <ins>and regularly update</ins> on
its <del>public</del> website the free universal reading screener and the list of other approved
universal reading screeners <ins>provided for in paragraph (3) of this subsection,</ins> one of which
each public school and local school system shall adopt and administer <del>in order to comply
with the requirements of subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of this subsection</del> <ins>as part of
their comprehensive literacy programs.
</ins> <del>(B) The council, in collaboration with the center and the Office of Planning and
Budget, shall identify a free universal reading screener that meets the criteria
established by the board as provided in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of this
subsection. The council shall enter into a memorandum of agreement with the
</del>
<del>department to make such universal reading screener available for use free of charge to
public schools and local school systems.
</del> (5) The department shall publish on its <del>public</del> website and distribute by <del>July 15</del> <ins>July 1
</ins> each year by electronic means to each local school system and public school in this state
a dyslexia informational handbook that includes guidance, technical assistance, and
training to assist all schools in the implementation of evidence based practices for
instructing students with characteristics of dyslexia. Such handbook shall include, but
shall not be limited to, <del>the following information:
</del> (A) Evidence based practices designed specifically for students with characteristics of
dyslexia;
(B) Guidance on developing support plans for students with characteristics of dyslexia;
(C) A list and brief description of the dyslexia related training programs accredited by
the International Dyslexia Association and any other nationally or internationally
recognized accrediting organization; and
(D) A list of dyslexia endorsement programs approved by the Professional Standards
Commission <ins>in collaboration with the Office of Student Achievement.
</ins> (6) The department shall, in consultation with the University System of Georgia, the
Professional Standards Commission, the Office of Student Achievement, <ins>the Georgia
Literacy Coordinating Committee,</ins> Georgia's regional <del>education</del> <ins>educational</ins> service
agencies, and literacy experts, develop or procure one or more <del>training</del> <ins>professional
learning</ins> programs for kindergarten through third grade teachers on the science of reading,
structured literacy, and foundational literacy skills that enable students to develop reading
skills required to meet state standards in literacy. <ins>Such programs shall emphasize the
importance of applying research about the science of reading to instructional practices
and of using high-quality instructional materials.</ins> Such <del>training</del> programs shall be
developed or procured to promote teachers' knowledge and skills for teaching all students
to read, including students with dyslexia, and to ensure teachers and literacy coaches have
the knowledge and skills necessary to use approved universal reading screeners and to
use assessment data to inform instruction based on student needs. <ins>One such program
shall be a state-wide comprehensive curriculum based professional learning program in
structured literacy that is aligned to and includes research on the science of reading to
support teachers and literacy coaches in applying such research into instructional
practices for kindergarten through grade three teachers and literacy coaches. Beginning
no later than the 2027-2028 school year, such comprehensive program shall be made
available free of charge to public school kindergarten through third grade teachers.
</ins> (7) The department shall provide technical assistance to aid public schools and local
school systems in implementing the provisions of this Code section.
(8)(A) <ins>By November 1 each year</ins> <del>Beginning April 1, 2026,</del> the department shall
provide an annual report on the impacts of the implementation of the provisions of this
Code section, including, but not limited to, reporting the results by school and school
system of:
(i) The comprehensive summative assessment program for third grade students
provided for in subsection (a) of Code Section 20-2-281; and
(ii) The formative reading assessments for first and second grade students provided
for in Code Section 20-2-280.
(B) Such report shall also include analyses of the impact of use of universal reading
screeners, the use of high-quality instructional materials, and instructional practices
<del>grounded in</del> <ins>aligned to</ins> the science of reading. Such report shall be provided to the
Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the
<del>chairperson</del> <ins>chairpersons</ins> of the House Committee on Education, the Senate Education
and Youth Committee, the House Committee on Higher Education, the Senate Higher
Education Committee, <ins>the House Committee on Appropriations, and the Senate
Appropriations Committee,</ins> and the board, and shall be made available on the
department's <del>public</del> website for access by the public."
"(2)(A) <ins>Utilizing school based literacy coaches and other available resources, each</ins> <del>Each
</del> public school and local school system shall provide instructional support for kindergarten
through third grade teachers that shall include:
<ins>(i)(A)</ins> Onsite teacher <del>training</del> <ins>professional learning and research materials</ins> on the
science of reading, structured literacy, foundational literacy skills, and evidence based
decision making;
<ins>(ii)(B)</ins> Demonstrated lessons <ins>to support teachers in applying such professional learning
and research materials in instructional practices;
(C) School based literacy coaches working side-by-side with teachers in classrooms;
(D) School based literacy coaches working directly with individual students and small
groups of students as time permits; and
</ins> <del>(iii)(E)</del> Prompt feedback for improving instruction.
<del>(B)(i) Any public school or local school system claiming that a lack of sufficient
funding prevents such public school or local school system from providing
instructional support as required in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph shall promptly
and in writing notify the department and shall describe all efforts such school or
school system has undertaken to secure sufficient funding from local, state, federal,
and private sources.
(ii) The department shall provide technical assistance and other guidance to public
schools and local schools systems in identifying local, state, federal, and private
funding sources to provide for instructional support as required in subparagraph (A)
of this paragraph."
</del> "(d.1)(1) The Professional Standards Commission shall adopt rules which establish
criteria for core curricula for each state approved educator preparation program. Such
rules shall include, but shall not be limited to, <del>the following:
</del> <ins>(1)(A)</ins> The use of content standards established by the State Board of Education that
are aligned to the science of reading to guide curricula and instruction;
<ins>(2)(B)</ins> Evidence based standards for the teaching of reading that:
<del>(A)(i)</del> Are exclusively aligned <del>with</del> <ins>to</ins> the science of reading;
<del>(B)(ii)</del> Prepare teachers to provide explicit, systematic, sequential, and cumulative
approaches to teaching phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and text
comprehension; and
<ins>(C)(iii)</ins> Employ multisensory and multimodal intervention strategies;
<ins>(3)(C)</ins> Content <ins>based</ins> literacy and mathematics practices;
<ins>(4)(D)</ins> Strategies appropriate for the instruction of English language learners;
<ins>(5)(E)</ins> Strategies appropriate for the instruction of students with disabilities;
<ins>(6)(F)</ins> Strategies <del>to</del> <ins>including, but not limited to, the use of assessment results, to
identify student strengths and weaknesses and</ins> differentiate instruction based on student
needs;
<ins>(7)(G)</ins> Strategies and practices to support research based content aligned to state
standards and grading practices;
<ins>(8)(H)</ins> Strategies appropriate for the early identification of a student with a reading
deficiency; and
<del>(9)(I)</del> Strategies to support the use of technology in education and distance learning.
<ins>(2) Beginning January 1, 2027, the Professional Standards Commission shall undertake
an ongoing review of each state approved educator preparation program's compliance
with the rules provided for in paragraph (1) of this subsection, with a particular emphasis
on subparagraphs (B) and (F) of paragraph (1) of this subsection. The Executive Director
shall have the discretion to determine the order and priority of reviews; provided,
however, that all educator preparation programs shall be reviewed no less often than
every four years. By November 1 each year, the Professional Standards Commission
shall provide a report of its review and significant findings to the Chancellor of the Board
of Regents of the University System of Georgia, the governing body of each state
approved educator preparation program that is not an institution of the University System
</ins>
<ins>of Georgia, the State Board of Education, the Office of Student Achievement, the Georgia
Council on Literacy, and the chairpersons of the House Committee on Higher Education,
the Senate Higher Education Committee, the House Committee on Education, and the
Senate Education and Youth Committee.
(e)(1) Not later than January 1, 2027, each local board of education and other public
school governing body shall adopt a unified literacy plan.
(2) Beginning January 1, 2027:
(A) No local school system shall be eligible for any waiver or variance granted under
Code Section 20-2-244 or Article 4 of this chapter or to enter into or renew a charter
system contract or strategic waivers school system contract with the State Board of
Education unless such local school system has adopted a unified literacy plan;
(B) Neither the State Board of Education nor any local board of education shall
authorize a new charter petition or a renewal charter petition for a local charter school,
as such term is defined in Code Section 20-2-2062, unless such petition includes a
unified literacy plan for such local charter school; and
(C) Neither the State Board of Education nor the State Charter Schools Commission
shall authorize a new charter petition or a renewal charter petition for a state charter
school, as such term is defined in Code Section 20-2-2081, unless such petition includes
a unified literacy plan for such state charter school."
</ins>
SECTION 6.
Said title is further amended in Part 5 of Article 6 of Chapter 2, relating to program weights
and funding requirements under the "Quality Basic Education Act," by deleting "and" at the
end of paragraph (4), by replacing the period at the end of paragraph (5) with "; and", and by
adding a new paragraph to subsection (b) of Code Section 20-2-186, relating to allocation
of funds for local education agencies to pay beginning salaries of superintendents,
secretaries, accountants, nurses, and certain other personnel and eligibility of failing schools
for funds, to read as follows:
<ins>"(6) Each local education agency shall earn funding sufficient to pay the beginning salary
of one full-time equivalent school based literacy coach for each school with any of grades
kindergarten through three, except that any such school with 200 or fewer full-time
equivalent students shall earn 50 percent of such funding. Such funding shall be based
on a contract length of 190 days. Each such school based literacy coach shall be a teacher
or other certificated professional personnel who meets the qualifications established by
the State Board of Education upon a recommendation from the Office of Student
Achievement, as provided for in Code Section 20-14-202. Such qualifications shall
include a preference for certificated professional personnel with a literacy coaching
endorsement established pursuant to Code Section 20-2-208.2. Each local education
agency shall be permitted to utilize one full-time school based literacy coach for each
qualifying school or a combination of part-time school based literacy coaches for each
qualifying school; provided, however, that each local education agency shall expend 100
percent of the funds earned pursuant to this paragraph for salaries and benefits for school
based literacy coaches; and provided, further, that no individual employed by a local
education agency as a full-time or part-time school based literacy coach shall be
employed by such local education agency in any other capacity or for any other purpose."
</ins>
SECTION 7.
Said title is further amended in Subpart 1 of Part 6 of Article 6 of Chapter 2, relating to
certificated professional personnel, by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
<ins>"20-2-208.2.
(a) No later than December 30, 2026, the Professional Standards Commission shall
establish a literacy coaching endorsement for teachers and other certificated professional
personnel trained in an evidence based approach to teaching oral and written language
aligned to the science of reading founded on the science of how children learn to read and
characterized by explicit, systematic, cumulative, and diagnostic instruction in phonology,
sound-symbol association, syllable instruction, morphology, syntax, and semantics.
(b) The requirements to receive such literacy coaching endorsement shall include training
on the use of universal reading screeners to measure and monitor a student's progress in
foundational literacy skills, providing guidance to parents, and providing training or
guidance to other teachers and school personnel."
</ins> SECTION 8.
Said title is further amended in Part 11 of Article 6, relating to regional educational service
agencies, by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
<ins>"20-2-270.3.
(a) The board of control of each regional educational service agency (RESA) shall
authorize regional literacy coaches and regional leadership literacy coaches to provide
literacy coaching, support, and related services to local school systems and other public
schools in the RESA service area.
(b) In collaboration with the Georgia Director of Literacy and the Georgia Literacy Coach
Coordinator, the board of control of each RESA shall assign regional literacy coaches to
the local school systems and public schools of the RESA service area, and at least one
</ins>
<ins>regional leadership literacy coach shall be assigned to serve as the primary point of contact
with local school system and school leaders.
(c) Each regional literacy coach and regional leadership literacy coach authorized by the
board of control of a RESA shall be employed by such RESA and shall report to the
director of the RESA.
(d) Each regional literacy coach, regional leadership literacy coach, and RESA director
shall work in full cooperation with the Georgia Literacy Coordinating Committee, the
Georgia Director of Literacy, and the Georgia Literacy Coach Coordinator.
(e) Each regional literacy coach and regional leadership literacy coach shall work in full
cooperation with any observation, evaluation, and feedback provided by the Georgia
Literacy Coach Coordinator or his or her designee."
</ins> SECTION 9.
Said title is further amended in Part 12 of Article 6 of Chapter 2, relating to effectiveness of
educational programs, by revising Code Section 20-2-283, relating to criteria, specific
requirements for students in grades three, five, and eight, and implementation, as follows:
"20-2-283.
(a) No later than <del>January 1, 2002</del> <ins>July 1, 2026,</ins> the State Board of Education shall adopt
criteria for the development of a placement and promotion policy by each local board of
education <ins>and other public school governing body</ins> consistent with the Georgia Academic
Placement and Promotion Policy.
(b) Such criteria as adopted by the State Board of Education shall require the following for
students in grades <ins>one,</ins> three, five, and eight:
(1) No student shall be promoted, except as provided in this Code section, to:
<ins>(A) The second grade program to which the student would otherwise be assigned if the
student is determined to be significantly at risk of not attaining grade level reading
proficiency, as determined in accordance with Code Section 20-2-153.1, by the end of
</ins>
<ins>the first grade program and does not meet the promotional standards and criteria
established by the State Board of Education and by the local board of education or other
governing body for the school that the student attends;
</ins> <del>(A)(B)</del> The fourth grade program to which the student would otherwise be assigned if
the student does not achieve grade level as defined by the Office of Student
Achievement in accordance with Code Section 20-14-31 on the third grade
end-of-grade reading assessment developed in accordance with subsection (a) of Code
Section 20-2-281 and meet the promotional standards and criteria established by the
State Board of Education and by the local <del>school</del> board <ins>of education or other governing
body</ins> for the school that the student attends;
<del>(B)(C)</del> The sixth grade program to which the student would otherwise be assigned if
the student does not achieve grade level as defined by the Office of Student
Achievement in accordance with Code Section 20-14-31 on the fifth grade end-of-grade
mathematics assessment and fifth grade end-of-grade reading assessment developed in
accordance with subsection (a) of Code Section 20-2-281 and meet the promotional
standards and criteria established by the State Board of Education and by the local
<del>school</del> board <ins>of education or other governing body</ins> for the school that the student
attends; or
<ins>(C)(D)</ins> The ninth grade program to which the student would otherwise be assigned if
the student does not achieve grade level as defined by the Office of Student
Achievement in accordance with Code Section 20-14-31 on the eighth grade
end-of-grade mathematics assessment and eighth grade end-of-grade reading
assessment developed in accordance with subsection (a) of Code Section 20-2-281 and
meet the promotional standards and criteria established by the State Board of Education
and by the local <del>school</del> board <ins>of education or other governing body</ins> for the school that
the student attends;
(2) When a student does not perform at grade level on any end-of-grade assessment
specified in <ins>subparagraph (B), (C), or (D) of</ins> paragraph (1) of this subsection, then the
following shall occur:
(A) The parent or guardian of the student shall be notified in writing by first-class mail
by the school principal or <del>such official's</del> <ins>the principal's</ins> designee regarding the student's
performance below grade level on the assessment instrument, the retest to be given the
student, the accelerated, differentiated, or additional instruction program to which the
student is assigned, and the possibility that the student might be retained at the same
grade level for the next school year;
(B) The student shall be retested with an end-of-grade assessment or an alternative
assessment instrument that is appropriate for the student's grade level as provided for
by the State Board of Education and the local board of education <ins>or school governing
body;</ins> and
(C) The student shall be given an opportunity for accelerated, differentiated, or
additional instruction in the applicable subject; <del>and
</del> (3) When a student does not perform at grade level on any end-of-grade assessment
specified in <ins>subparagraph (B), (C), or (D) of</ins> paragraph (1) of this subsection and also
does not perform at grade level on a second additional opportunity as provided for in
paragraph (2) of this subsection, then the following shall occur:
(A) The school principal or the principal's designee shall retain the student for the next
school year except as otherwise provided in this subsection;
(B) The school principal or the principal's designee shall notify in writing by first-class
mail the parent or guardian of the student and the teacher regarding the decision to
retain the student. The notice shall describe the option of the parent, guardian, or
teacher to appeal the decision to retain the student and shall further describe the
composition and functions of the placement committee as provided for in this
subsection, including the requirement that a decision to promote the student must be a
unanimous decision of the committee;
(C) If the parent, guardian, or teacher appeals the decision to retain the student, then
the school principal or <ins>the principal's</ins> designee shall establish a placement committee
composed of the principal or the principal's designee, the student's parent or guardian,
and the teacher of the subject of the assessment instrument on which the student failed
to perform at grade level and shall notify in writing by first-class mail the parent or
guardian of the time and place for convening the placement committee;
(D) The placement committee shall:
(i) Review the overall academic achievement of the student in light of the
performance on the end-of-grade assessment and the standards and criteria as adopted
by the local board of education and make a determination to promote or retain. A
decision to promote must be a unanimous decision and must determine that if
promoted and given accelerated, differentiated, or additional instruction during the
next year, the student is likely to perform at grade level as defined by the Office of
Student Achievement in accordance with Code Section 20-14-31 by the conclusion
of the school year; and
(ii) Prescribe for the student, whether the student is retained or promoted, such
accelerated, differentiated, or additional instruction as needed to perform at grade
level by the conclusion of the subsequent school year, prescribe such additional
assessments as may be appropriate in addition to assessments administered to other
students at the grade level during the year, and provide for a plan of continuous
assessment during the subsequent school year in order to monitor the progress of the
student;
(E) For students receiving special education or related services, the Individualized
Education Plan Committee shall serve as the placement committee; and
(F) The decision of the placement committee may be appealed only as provided for by
the local board of education <ins>or other public school governing body; and
(4)(A) When a student is determined to be significantly at risk of not attaining grade
level reading proficiency, as specified in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) of this
subsection, then the following shall occur:
(i) The parent or guardian of the student shall be notified in writing by first-class mail
by the school principal or the principal's designee regarding the determination that the
student has been determined to be significantly at risk of not attaining grade level
reading proficiency by the end of the first grade program, the student's updated tiered
reading intervention plan, and the possibility that the student might be retained at the
same grade level for the next school year;
(ii) The student shall be reassessed to determine if he or she is to be significantly at
risk of not attaining grade level reading proficiency by the end of the first grade
program; and
(iii) The student shall receive intensive reading intervention in accordance with Code
Section 20-2-153.1.
(B) When a student is determined to be significantly at risk of not attaining grade level
reading proficiency, as specified in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) of this
subsection, and continues to be significantly at risk of not attaining grade level reading
proficiency after provisions of subparagraph (A) of this paragraph are implemented,
then the following shall occur:
(i) The school principal or the principal's designee shall retain the student for the next
school year except as otherwise provided in this paragraph;
(ii) The school principal or the principal's designee shall notify in writing by
first-class mail the parent or guardian of the student regarding the decision to retain
the student. The notice shall describe the option of the parent or guardian to appeal
the decision to retain the student and shall further describe the composition and
</ins>
<ins>functions of the placement committee as provided for in this paragraph, including the
requirement that a decision to promote the student must be a unanimous decision of
the committee;
(iii) If the parent or guardian appeals the decision to retain the student, then the
school principal or the principal's designee shall establish a placement committee
composed of the school principal or the principal's designee, the student's parent or
guardian, and the student's teacher and shall notify in writing by first-class mail the
parent or guardian of the time and place for convening the placement committee;
(iv) The placement committee shall:
(I) Review the overall academic achievement of the student and his or her progress
toward grade level reading proficiency and make a determination to promote or
retain. A decision to promote must be a unanimous decision and must determine
that if promoted and given intensive reading intervention in accordance with Code
Section 20-2-153.1 during the next year, the student is likely to perform at grade
level as defined by the Office of Student Achievement in accordance with Code
Section 20-14-31 by the conclusion of the school year; and
(II) Prescribe for the student, whether the student is retained or promoted, such
accelerated, differentiated, or additional instruction as needed to perform at grade
level by the conclusion of the subsequent school year, prescribe such additional
assessments as may be appropriate in addition to assessments administered to other
students at the grade level during the year, and provide for a plan of continuous
assessment during the subsequent school year in order to monitor the progress of the
student;
(v) For students receiving special education or related services, the Individualized
Education Plan Committee shall serve as the placement committee;
(vi) The decision of the placement committee may be appealed only as provided for
by the local board of education or other public school governing body; and
</ins>
<ins>(vii) No student shall remain in the first grade program for more than two years.
</ins> (c) This Code section does not preclude the retention by the school principal or the
principal's designee of a student who performs satisfactorily on the end-of-grade
assessments specified in <ins>subparagraph (B), (C), or (D) of</ins> paragraph (1) of subsection (b)
of this Code section as provided for by the local board of education <ins>or other public school
governing body.
</ins> (d) This Code section does not create a property interest in promotion.
(e) The State Board of Education shall establish policies and procedures for
implementation of this Code section."
SECTION 10.
Said title is further amended in said part by revising Code Section 20-2-284, relating to
criteria for local boards of education and model placement and promotion policy, as follows:
"20-2-284.
(a) No later than July 1, <del>2003</del> <ins>2026,</ins> each local board of education <ins>and other public school
governing body</ins> shall develop and adopt a placement and promotion policy in accordance
with the criteria established by the State Board of Education as provided in Code
Section 20-2-283 and consistent with the Georgia Academic Placement and Promotion
Policy.
(b) Except for those end-of-grade assessments specified in Code Section 20-2-283, the
placement and promotion policy as developed and adopted by each local board of
education <ins>and other public school governing body</ins> shall state how the end-of-grade
assessments administered under Code Section 20-2-281 for grades one through eight, <ins>and
assessments administered to determine grade level reading proficiency for grade one,</ins> will
be weighted or otherwise utilized by the school principal or the principal's designee in
determining the overall academic achievement of a student and an appropriate plan of
accelerated, differentiated, or additional instruction, placement, promotion, or retention of
a student.
(c) To assist each local board of education <ins>and other public school governing body,</ins> the
State Board of Education shall develop a model placement and promotion policy <del>which
may be utilized by a local board of education."
</del> SECTION 11.
Said title is further amended in said part by revising Code Section 20-2-285, relating to
timetable for implementation of policy, as follows:
"20-2-285.
The State Board of Education shall provide for a timetable of implementation of this Code
section and the Georgia Academic Placement and Promotion Policy which shall include:
(1) The third grade beginning with the 2003-2004 school year;
(2) The fifth grade beginning with the 2004-2005 school year; <del>and
</del> (3) The eighth grade beginning with the 2005-2006 school year; <ins>and
(4) The first grade beginning with the 2026-2027 school year."
</ins> SECTION 12.
Said title is further amended in Subpart 2 of Part 1 of Article 16 of Chapter 2, relating to
compulsory attendance, by revising subsection (b) of Code Section 20-2-690.1, relating to
compulsory education for children between ages six and 16 and voluntary withdrawal, as
follows:
"(b) Each child in this state shall be required to attend a public school, a private school, or
a home study program between his or her sixth and sixteenth birthdays; <ins>provided, however,
that it is the policy of this state that families are encouraged to have their children attend
a public school, a private school, or a home study program beginning at age five.</ins> Such
compulsory attendance shall not apply to any child who has successfully completed all
requirements for a high school diploma or state approved high school equivalency (HSE)
diploma."
SECTION 13.
Said title is further amended in Article 19 of Chapter 2, relating to instructional materials and
content, by revising Code Section 20-2-1010, relating to instructional materials and content,
as follows:
"20-2-1010.
(a) The State Board of Education <del>is authorized to</del> <ins>shall</ins> prescribe, by regulation, the
definition of the term 'instructional materials and content' to include but not be limited to
systematically designed material in any medium, including digital instructional materials
and content and any computer hardware, software, and technical equipment necessary to
support such instructional materials and content, that constitutes the principal source of
study for a state funded course to be used in the various grades in the public schools of this
state, including <del>the elementary grades and high school grades</del> <ins>kindergarten through
grade 12.</ins> The state board may provide, by regulation, for multiple listings of instructional
materials and content for use in the various grades and may, in its discretion, authorize the
local school <del>superintendents</del> <ins>systems and other public schools</ins> to exercise a choice as
between various instructional materials and content so listed or adopted for any particular
grade.
(b) Nothing in this Code section shall be construed to exempt computer hardware or
related equipment acquired by the state from competitive bidding.
<ins>(c) Notwithstanding any provision of law, including, but not limited to, any provision of
this article to the contrary, it is the policy of this state that:
(1) Only high-quality instructional materials that are aligned to the science of reading,
as such terms are defined in Code Section 20-2-153.1, shall be used for literacy and
reading education in kindergarten through grade three; and
</ins>
<ins>(2) Beginning with the 2029-2030 school year and continuing thereafter, no public
school that receives funds under Article 6 of this chapter shall use any portion of such
funds for the purchase or use of instructional materials for literacy and reading education
in kindergarten through grade three that are not approved for such purpose by the State
Board of Education upon the recommendation of the Georgia Literacy Task Force."
</ins> SECTION 14.
Said title is further amended in said article by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
<ins>"20-2-1015.1.
(a) Local boards of education and other public school governing bodies shall approve
high-quality instructional materials for students in kindergarten through grade three as
required under Code Section 20-2-153.1, the 'Georgia Early Literacy and Dyslexia Act.'
(b) Local boards of education and other public school governing bodies are strongly
encouraged to provide exclusively for the use of high-quality instructional materials that
are aligned to the science of reading, as such terms are defined in Code Section 20-2-153.1,
for literacy and reading instruction for students in kindergarten through grade three.
(c) The State Board of Education shall annually determine a reasonable level of funding
to assist local boards of education and other public school governing bodies in attaining
high-quality instructional materials pursuant to this Code section. Such level of funding
shall annually be presented to the General Assembly for its consideration in including
appropriations for such purposes."
</ins> SECTION 15.
Said title is further amended in Chapter 14, relating to education accountability, by adding
a new article to read as follows:
<ins>"ARTICLE 4
20-14-200.
(a) There is established within the Office of Student Achievement the Georgia Literacy
Coordinating Committee. Such committee shall comprise, at a minimum, the Georgia
Director of Literacy, the Georgia Literacy Coach Coordinator, a representative of the
Department of Education, at least one representative of Georgia's regional educational
service agencies, at least one representative of an educator preparation program, other
subject matter experts identified by the Georgia Director of Literacy, and the director of
the Office of Student Achievement, or his or her designee. Each member of the Georgia
Literacy Coordinating Committee shall have knowledge of the science of reading and
expertise in quality reading instruction and intervention.
(b) The Georgia Literacy Coordinating Committee shall be responsible for:
(1) Coordinating the efforts of all state-wide literacy and reading education programs
across state, regional, and local agencies, systems, and initiatives;
(2) Developing a state-wide literacy plan; and
(3) Reviewing and making recommendations for local unified literacy plans.
(c) Upon the recommendation of the Georgia Director of Literacy, the Office of Student
Achievement is authorized to engage individuals with subject matter expertise to work with
the Georgia Literacy Coordinating Committee.
20-14-201.
The Office of Student Achievement shall employ:
(1) The Georgia Director of Literacy, who shall report to the director of the Office of
Student Achievement and shall be responsible for:
(A) Oversight of development, implementation, alignment, and evaluation of a
state-wide literacy plan;
</ins>
<ins>(B) Evaluating and making recommendations for the continuous improvement and
alignment of state-wide literacy and reading education programs across state, regional,
and local agencies, systems, and initiatives;
(C) Serving as the primary liaison with the Department of Education, the Department
of Early Care and Learning, the Department of Public Health, the University System
of Georgia, Georgia's regional educational service agencies, the Professional Standards
Commission, and the Office of Student Achievement with respect to state-wide literacy
and reading education efforts;
(D) Making recommendations for effective implementation of and continuous
improvements to the 'Georgia Early Literacy and Dyslexia Act' and other legislation,
policies, rules, and regulations relative to literacy and reading instruction across all ages
and grades;
(E) Serving as chairperson of the Georgia Literacy Coordinating Committee;
(F) Serving as chairperson of the Georgia Literacy Task Force; and
(G) Supervision and evaluation of staff assigned to work with the Georgia Literacy
Coordinating Committee or the Georgia Literacy Task Force, including, but not limited
to, the Georgia Literacy Coach Coordinator; and
(2) The Georgia Literacy Coach Coordinator, who shall report to the Georgia Director
of Literacy and shall be responsible for:
(A) Serving on the Georgia Literacy Coordinating Committee;
(B) State-wide coordination of regional leadership literacy coaches, regional literacy
coaches, and school based literacy coaches;
(C) Collaboration with and coordination of literacy coaches and specialists affiliated
with the Department of Education or a regional educational service agency whose
positions are supported with state or federal funds, including, but not limited to,
regional literacy coaches;
</ins>
<ins>(D) Observing, evaluating, and providing feedback to literacy coaches and specialists
affiliated with the Department of Education or a regional educational service agency
whose positions are supported with state or federal funds, including, but not limited to,
regional literacy coaches; and
(E) Reviewing and collaborating on the development and implementation of state-wide
professional learning and professional development programs and training for literacy
and reading education.
20-14-202.
(a) The Georgia Literacy Coordinating Committee shall develop and recommend to the
State Board of Education, local boards of education, and the regional educational service
agencies position descriptions and minimum qualifications and duties for school based
literacy coaches, regional literacy coaches, and regional leadership literacy coaches.
(b)(1) The minimum qualifications for school based literacy coaches shall include, but
shall not be limited to:
(A) Certification by the Professional Standards Commission;
(B) A minimum of five years of documented successful classroom teaching or literacy
intervention experience at assigned grade levels; and
(C) A knowledge of scientifically based reading research, special expertise in quality
reading instruction and intervention, dyslexia specific interventions, and data analysis.
(2) The minimum duties for school based literacy coaches shall include, but shall not be
limited to:
(A) Demonstrating competency through approved, periodic, practice based assessment
that verifies the literacy coach's ability to:
(i) Apply the science of reading, learning science, and instructional science to deliver
explicit, systematic, evidence based literacy instruction directly with students;
</ins>
<ins>(ii) Analyze student data, including screening, diagnostic, and progress monitoring
data, to inform instruction, grouping, and intervention within a multi-tiered system of
supports framework;
(iii) Synthesize student performance data and educator practice data to establish
coaching goals and design targeted, need based support for educators;
(iv) Coach educators using nonevaluative, evidence based practices, including
modeling instruction, analyzing instructional practice and data, providing actionable
feedback, and delivering side-by-side classroom support; and
(v) Support the implementation and monitoring of evidence based literacy curricula
and instructional materials with fidelity, ensuring alignment to the science of reading;
(B) Collaborating with the school principal to create a strategic plan for literacy
coaching;
(C) Spending no less than 70 percent of the school day in classrooms working directly
with students and teachers; and
(D) Prioritizing time for those teachers, activities, and roles that will have the greatest
impact on student reading achievement, such as coaching and mentoring in classrooms;
and
(3) A school based literacy coach shall not be:
(A) Authorized or required to perform administrative functions or duties, including, but
not limited to, performing any rotating duty assignments or serving as an evaluator,
substitute teacher, assessment coordinator, or school administrator;
(B) Invited, required, or permitted to attend placement committee meetings; or
(C) Designated as a teacher of record.
(c)(1) The minimum qualifications for regional literacy coaches shall include, but shall
not be limited to:
(A) Certification by the Professional Standards Commission;
</ins>
<ins>(B) A minimum of five years of documented successful classroom teaching or literacy
intervention experience at assigned grade levels; and
(C) A knowledge of scientifically based reading research, special expertise in quality
reading instruction and intervention, dyslexia specific interventions, and data analysis.
(2) The minimum duties for regional literacy coaches shall include, but shall not be
limited to:
(A) Demonstrating competency through approved, periodic, practice based assessment
that verifies the literacy coach's ability to:
(i) Apply the science of reading, learning science, and instructional science to deliver
explicit, systematic, evidence based literacy instruction directly with students;
(ii) Analyze student data, including screening, diagnostic, and progress monitoring
data, to inform instruction, grouping, and intervention within a multi-tiered system of
supports framework;
(iii) Synthesize student performance data and educator practice data to establish
coaching goals and design targeted, need based support for educators; and
(iv) Coach educators using nonevaluative, evidence based practices, including
modeling instruction, analyzing instructional practice and data, providing actionable
feedback, and delivering side-by-side classroom support;
(B) Supporting the implementation and monitoring of evidence based literacy curricula
and instructional materials with fidelity, ensuring alignment to the science of reading;
(C) Providing ongoing support to local school systems and public schools for effective
implementation and continuous improvement of comprehensive literacy programs;
(D) Collaborating with school principals, school based literacy coaches, and
representatives of the Georgia Literacy Coordinating Committee; and
(E) Providing ongoing professional learning activities and materials for teachers and
literacy coaches that include research on the science of reading and curriculum based
</ins>
<ins>professional learning to support them in applying such training and research into
instructional practices.
(d)(1) The minimum qualifications for regional leadership literacy coaches shall include,
but shall not be limited to:
(A) Certification by the Professional Standards Commission;
(B) A minimum of five years of documented success as a literacy coach or as a
classroom teacher or administrator in kindergarten to grade three;
(C) A knowledge of scientifically based reading research, special expertise in quality
reading instruction and intervention, dyslexia specific interventions, and data analysis;
(D) Successful experience in leading a school, a school district, or a regional literacy
program to include the role of principal, curriculum director, superintendent, or
state-level literacy specialist;
(E) Extensive knowledge of the implementation of a structured literacy program that
is founded in the science of reading;
(F) Successful experience in working with adult learners;
(G) Exceptional interpersonal skills;
(H) Exceptional communication skills; and
(I) Successful experience in leading educational programs and/or initiatives.
(2) The minimum duties for regional leadership literacy coaches shall include, but shall
not be limited to:
(A) Attending and participating in professional learning related to literacy
improvement and coaching within the RESA network;
(B) Collaborating with local school superintendents and school principals to create a
literacy rich environment within the local school system, with priority given to schools
that include kindergarten through third grade;
</ins>
<ins>(C) Joining local school superintendents and school principals in side-by-side
classroom observations to support teachers and paraprofessionals in applying the
science of reading into instructional practices;
(D) Assisting regional literacy coaches to prioritize the needs of the local school
system based on student data and communication with local school system leaders;
(E) Facilitating communication and collaboration between the local school system and
regional literacy coaches;
(F) Providing guidance to local school systems in the development and implementation
of the local unified literacy plan;
(G) Facilitating collaboration between the local school system and the local community
to support literacy development for children from birth to age five;
(H) Facilitating collaboration between the local school system and the local and
regional postsecondary educational institutions; and
(I) Collaborating with other regional leadership literacy coaches.
20-14-203.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term 'task force' means the Georgia Literacy Task
Force established pursuant to this Code section.
(b) There is established the Georgia Literacy Task Force, a standing task force which shall
be convened by the Office of Student Achievement by September 1, 2026, and which shall
be responsible for providing recommendations to the State Board of Education, the Office
of Student Achievement, the Georgia Literacy Coordinating Committee, and the Georgia
Director of Literacy for:
(1) Effective implementation of and continuous improvements to the 'Georgia Early
Literacy and Dyslexia Act' and other legislation, policies, rules, and regulations relative
to literacy and reading instruction across all ages and grades;
</ins>
<ins>(2) The state-wide comprehensive curriculum based professional learning program in
structured literacy that is aligned to and includes research on the science of reading to
support teachers and literacy coaches in applying such research into instructional
practices for kindergarten through grade three teachers and literacy coaches to be made
available at no cost as provided for in Code Section 20-2-153.1;
(3)(A) A list of no less than two and no more than five universal reading screeners that
are valid and reliable reading screening, formative, and diagnostic assessment systems
for selection and use by local school systems and public schools.
(B) Each universal reading screener recommended by the task force shall:
(i) Provide screening and diagnostic capabilities for monitoring student progress;
(ii) Measure, at a minimum, a student's foundational reading skills, as such term is
defined in Code Section 20-2-153.1, including, but not limited to, a student's
phonological awareness, oral language, the alphabetic principle, including letter
naming, letter sound, and sound letter correspondences, decoding, encoding,
accuracy, vocabulary, and comprehension;
(iii) Identify students who are significantly at risk of not attaining grade level reading
proficiency, including, but not limited to, identifying students with characteristics of
dyslexia; and
(iv) Have robust reporting capabilities, including, but not limited to, the capability
to generate and provide directly to the department and the Office of Student
Achievement reports of screener results by:
(I) Student;
(II) Student subgroups based on grade level, educational program, demographic
characteristics, and other criteria identified by the Georgia Literacy Task Force;
(III) Teacher;
(IV) School; and
(V) Local school system.
</ins>
<ins>(C) In determining which universal reading screeners to recommend for use by local
school systems and public schools, the task force shall, at a minimum, consider:
(i) The time required to conduct the universal reading screener, with the intention of
minimizing the impact on instructional time;
(ii) The level of integration of universal reading screener results with instructional
support for teachers and students; and
(iii) The timeliness in reporting assessment results to teachers, administrators, and
parents.
(D) The task force shall recommend one universal reading screener to be made
available free of charge to local school systems and public schools.
(E) By March 1, 2028, and by March 1 every third year thereafter, the task force shall
submit to the State Board of Education the list of recommended universal reading
screeners, including the universal reading screener to be made available free of charge
to local school systems and public schools.
(F) No universal reading screener shall be approved by the State Board of Education
unless it has been recommended by the task force; and
(4) An annual list of high-quality instructional materials that are aligned to the science
of reading, as such terms are defined in Code Section 20-2-153.1, for students in
kindergarten through grade three for recommendation to the State Board of Education.
(c)(1) The Georgia Director of Literacy shall serve as chairperson of the task force.
(2) In addition to the Georgia Director of Literacy, the membership of the task force shall
include the following appointed members, each of whom shall have at least three years
of experience with scientifically based reading instruction:
(A) Three members appointed by the Governor, two of whom shall have significant
experience as a literacy or reading specialist, coach, or teacher or as a curriculum
specialist;
</ins>
<ins>(B) Three members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, two of
whom shall have significant experience as a literacy or reading specialist, coach, or
teacher or as a curriculum specialist;
(C) Three members appointed by the President of the Senate, two of whom shall have
significant experience as a literacy or reading specialist, coach, or teacher or as a
curriculum specialist;
(D) One member who shall be a certified academic dyslexia therapist for a minimum
of three years appointed by the Office of Student Achievement; and
(E) One member appointed by the State Board of Education.
(3) The Office of Student Achievement shall verify that each appointed member of the
task force satisfies the credentials under which he or she was appointed.
(4) Members appointed to the task force shall be appointed to serve a three-year term and
may be reappointed to serve one additional two-year term.
(5)(A) The task force shall be authorized to conduct meetings at such places and times,
either virtually or in-person, as it deems necessary or convenient to enable it to fully
and effectively perform its duties; provided, however, that it shall meet not less than
two times per year and shall hold meetings at the call of the chairperson.
(B) A quorum for transacting business of the task force shall be a majority of the
members.
(C) Meetings of the task force shall be exempt from the provisions of Chapter 14 of
Title 50 notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary.
(6) Legislative members of the task force shall receive the allowances provided for in
Code Section 28-1-8. Nonlegislative members of the task force shall receive a daily
expense allowance in the amount specified in subsection (a) of Code Section 45-7-21 as
well as the mileage or transportation allowance authorized for state employees. Members
of the task force who are state officials, other than legislative members, or state
employees shall receive no compensation for their services on the task force, but shall be
</ins>
<ins>reimbursed for expenses incurred by them in the performance of their duties as members
of the task force in the same manner as they are reimbursed for expenses in their
capacities as state officials or state employees. The funds necessary for the
reimbursement of the expenses of state officials, other than legislative members, and state
employees shall come from funds appropriated to or otherwise available to their
respective departments. All other funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this
article shall come from funds appropriated to the Office of Student Achievement.
(d) The task force shall endeavor to include multiple vendors in each annual list of
universal reading screeners and high-quality instructional materials provided for in
subsection (a) of this Code section. The task force shall make public all rubrics and
measurements used to determine eligibility and compliance for all universal reading
screeners and high-quality instructional materials accepted for consideration.
20-14-204.
(a) Within 60 days of receiving any recommendation from the Georgia Literacy Task
Force, the State Board of Education shall vote to adopt or reject such recommendation.
(b) The State School Superintendent shall recommend that the State Board of Education
adopt recommendations received pursuant to subsection (a) of this Code section; provided,
however, that if the State School Superintendent disagrees with a recommendation received
pursuant to subsection (a) of this Code section, he or she shall submit to the State Board
of Education the reasons for such disagreement in writing. Irrespective of whether the
State School Superintendent submits any disagreement, the State Board of Education shall
timely vote to adopt or reject the recommendation from the Georgia Literacy Task Force.
20-14-205.
The Office of Student Achievement shall be responsible for developing and implementing,
in collaboration with the Department of Education, the Department of Early Care and
</ins>
<ins>Learning, the Department of Public Health, the University System of Georgia, Georgia's
regional educational service agencies, and local school systems and public schools, a
</ins> 1000 <ins>comprehensive state-wide promotional campaign to increase public awareness and
</ins> 1001 <ins>education about the essential importance of literacy in the lives of all Georgians and to urge
</ins> 1002 <ins>all Georgia families and communities to support and participate in literacy programs and
</ins> 1003 <ins>other efforts, especially for children from birth through fifth grade."
</ins> 1004 SECTION 16.
1005 This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law
1006 without such approval.
1007 SECTION 17.
1008 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.

A Georgia Senate bill would overhaul how the state teaches children to read, requiring full-day kindergarten, first-grade readiness testing, school-based literacy coaches, and new science-of-reading rules for teacher training and classroom materials.

### Plain-language summary

Georgia has struggled with early reading outcomes, and this bill rewrites large parts of the state's education code to address it. It requires all local school systems to offer full-day kindergarten and makes school attendance effectively begin at age five. Children entering first grade would face a formal readiness assessment covering reading skills, with a tiered intervention plan and possible placement committee review for kids found significantly behind. Schools would be required to fund a school-based literacy coach for grades K-3, with the state creating a new coaching certification (literacy coaching endorsement).
The bill also rewrites the 'Georgia Early Literacy and Dyslexia Act' (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-153.1), tightening rules on reading screeners, instructional materials aligned to the 'science of reading,' and teacher-prep programs. It creates new state positions and bodies: a Georgia Director of Literacy, a Georgia Literacy Coach Coordinator, a Georgia Literacy Coordinating Committee, and a Georgia Literacy Task Force, plus regional literacy coaches through Georgia's regional educational service agencies. Most requirements phase in between 2026 and 2029, and the law would take effect once the Governor signs it.

### What it does

- Requires all local school systems to offer full-day kindergarten and makes attending kindergarten a prerequisite for first grade, with limited exceptions.
- Creates a formal first-grade readiness assessment process, including tiered reading intervention plans and a parent-appealable placement committee for children found at risk.
- Requires state funding (Quality Basic Education funding) to pay for a school-based literacy coach in every public school serving grades K-3.
- Establishes a new literacy coaching endorsement credential through the Professional Standards Commission for teachers by December 30, 2026.
- Creates the Georgia Literacy Coordinating Committee, a Director of Literacy, a Literacy Coach Coordinator, and a Georgia Literacy Task Force to oversee reading screeners, instructional materials, and statewide literacy policy.
- Requires local school systems and charter schools to adopt 'unified literacy plans' by January 1, 2027 or lose eligibility for certain waivers and charter contracts.

### Who it affects

Public school students in kindergarten through eighth grade and their parents, K-3 classroom teachers and literacy coaches, local school boards and charter schools, the Department of Education, the Office of Student Achievement, the Professional Standards Commission, and Georgia's regional educational service agencies (RESAs).

### Why it matters

Families would see earlier, more formal reading testing and possible grade retention decisions starting in first grade, and schools would gain dedicated literacy coaches funded by the state. Teacher training programs and classroom reading materials would have to align with specific reading-science standards, changing daily classroom practice statewide.

### Key provisions

- Section 3-4 lowers the compulsory enrollment age reference from seven to five and requires all local systems to offer full-day kindergarten instead of making it optional.
- Section 4 creates a detailed first-grade readiness assessment and placement committee process, including written parent notice and appeal rights, effective for the 2027-2028 school year.
- Section 5 substantially rewrites the Georgia Early Literacy and Dyslexia Act, adding legislative intent language favoring 'structured literacy' and 'science of reading' instruction and requiring unified literacy plans by January 1, 2027.
- Section 6 requires local education agencies to earn state funding for a full-time school-based literacy coach in each school with grades K-3, with reduced funding for schools of 200 or fewer students.
- Section 7 directs the Professional Standards Commission to create a literacy coaching endorsement credential by December 30, 2026.
- Section 8 authorizes regional educational service agencies to employ regional literacy coaches and regional leadership literacy coaches to support local schools.
- Section 15 establishes the Georgia Literacy Coordinating Committee, the Director of Literacy and Coach Coordinator positions, and the Georgia Literacy Task Force to recommend reading screeners and instructional materials.
- Section 16 states the Act takes effect upon the Governor's signature or upon becoming law without signature.

## Status

- Status: Introduced (2026-02-04)
- Last action: Senate Read and Referred (2026-02-05)
- Sponsors: Billy Hickman, Larry Walker, Jason Anavitarte, Shawn Still, Chuck Payne, Ricky Williams, Marty Harbin, Max Burns, Drew Echols, Timothy Bearden, Brian Strickland, Russ Goodman, Bo Hatchett, RaShaun Kemp, Clint Dixon, Bill Cowsert, Elena Parent, Sonya Halpern, Mike Hodges
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72833

> The history, votes, and amendments (95 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb459.md?full=1