HB1030: HB1030 Math Matters Act; enact

Georgia currently has no statewide requirement for advanced math course access or a minimum amount of daily math instruction in elementary grades. This bill creates the 'Math Matters Act' inside Georgia's education code (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-153.2) to change that. Starting with the 2027-2028 school year, local school districts must provide at least 60 minutes a day of core math instruction for fourth and fifth graders, and must automatically enroll high-scoring students in grades six through ten into advanced math courses, while letting parents opt out or request enrollment for other students. The State Board of Education must adopt advanced math content standards by January 1, 2027, including a course called Enhanced Algebra: Concepts and Connections. Districts must report enrollment data to the legislature each year starting October 1, 2028, and cannot waive these requirements even under charter or strategic waiver flexibility. The bill also updates teacher certification rules so elementary teacher preparation programs and the state's teacher licensing tests reflect evidence based math instruction. The law would take effect July 1, 2026.

• Creates the 'Math Matters Act' in Georgia law, requiring the State Board of Education to adopt content standards for advanced middle and high school math courses by January 1, 2027.
• Requires local school districts to provide at least 60 minutes daily or 300 minutes weekly of core math instruction for fourth and fifth graders starting in the 2027-2028 school year.
• Requires districts to automatically enroll high-scoring students in grades six through ten in advanced math courses, while letting parents withdraw them or request enrollment for other students.
• Requires districts to give parents information about advanced math courses and to report enrollment and outcome data to state legislative committees every year starting in 2028.
• Bars school systems, including charter systems and strategic waiver systems, from getting waivers out of these math requirements.
• Directs the Professional Standards Commission to update teacher certification standards and licensing exams so elementary teachers are trained in evidence based math instruction and the four strands of mathematical proficiency.

Public school students in grades four through ten and their parents or guardians, local school districts and the Department of Education, the State Board of Education, the Professional Standards Commission, and college and university teacher preparation programs training future elementary teachers.

Georgia families would see new guaranteed access to advanced math courses for high-scoring students, more required math time for younger students, and new reporting on which students take advanced math. Future elementary teachers would need stronger math training before earning certification, changing how teacher prep programs are structured.

• Section 1 adds new O.C.G.A. § 20-2-153.2, defining terms like 'advanced math course,' 'evidence based math instruction,' and the 'four strands of mathematical proficiency.'
• Subsection (c) requires 60 minutes daily or 300 minutes weekly of core math instruction for grades four and five, starting in the 2027-2028 school year.
• Subsection (e) requires the State Board of Education to adopt advanced math content standards for grades eight through ten by January 1, 2027, including Enhanced Algebra: Concepts and Connections.
• Subsection (f) requires automatic enrollment in advanced math for students scoring 'distinguished learner,' a withdrawal process for parents, and a request process for other proficient students starting in 2027-2028.
• Subsection (f)(4) requires annual reports to House and Senate education and appropriations committees starting October 1, 2028, with data broken down by ethnicity, race, sex, income, disability, and language proficiency.
• Subsection (g) prohibits waivers of these math requirements for strategic waiver, charter, or completion special school systems.
• Section 2 revises O.C.G.A. § 20-2-984 to require, beginning in 2028, that teacher certification exams align with evidence based math and literacy instruction, and to add math training standards for elementary teacher certification programs.
• Section 3 sets the effective date as July 1, 2026.

1. 2026-05-05Effective Date 2026-07-01
2. 2026-05-05Act 394
3. 2026-05-05House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2026-04-10House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2026-03-27House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub (House)
6. 2026-03-23Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
7. 2026-03-23Senate Third Read (Senate)
8. 2026-03-18Senate Read Second Time (Senate)

• Sandy Donatucci (R, HD-105)Primary sponsor
• Chris Erwin (R, HD-032)
• Jan Jones (R, HD-047)
• Matt Dubnik (R, HD-029)
• Scott Hilton (R, HD-048)
• Soo Hong (R, HD-103)
• Steven McNeel (R, SD-018)

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 25, 2026

   171 yea, 0 nay (1 not voting, 5 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #560

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 23, 2026

   51 yea, 0 nay (2 not voting, 1 absent)

   Passage By Substitute: Senate Vote #785

3. PassedHouse voteMarch 27, 2026

   158 yea, 0 nay (5 not voting, 13 absent)

   Agree To Senate Substitute: House Vote #778

• math education
• public schools
• teacher certification
• K-12 curriculum
• advanced coursework