HB 740: Stop Social Promotion Act; enact

Georgia law already requires students in grades three, five and eight to meet certain reading or math benchmarks before moving to the next grade, with a process for retesting, extra instruction, and an appeal to a placement committee if a student falls short. This bill, called the Stop Social Promotion Act, extends that same basic framework to kindergarten, first grade and second grade. Instead of local school systems using kindergarten readiness screening along with teacher recommendations to decide grade placement, the bill has the Department of Education develop statewide promotional standards and criteria for first grade readiness, which local school systems must follow. First graders would need to hit reading benchmarks to move to second grade, and second graders would need to hit reading benchmarks to move to third grade, using the same notify, retest, and placement committee process already used in the higher grades. The State Board of Education must adopt the K-2 criteria by January 1, 2026, and local boards must adopt matching placement and promotion policies by July 1, 2026. The rollout is staggered: kindergarten starts in the 2026-2027 school year, first grade in 2027-2028, and second grade in 2028-2029.

• Shifts control over first grade placement decisions from local school systems (using teacher input) to the Department of Education, which must create statewide promotional standards and criteria for first grade readiness.
• Extends the existing grade retention testing system used for grades three, five and eight down to kindergarten, first grade and second grade.
• Requires first graders to meet promotional standards for first grade readiness and requires second graders to hit grade-level reading benchmarks before moving to second and third grade, respectively.
• Requires the State Board of Education to adopt placement and promotion criteria for kindergarten through second grade no later than January 1, 2026.
• Requires local school boards to adopt matching placement and promotion policies for kindergarten through second grade no later than July 1, 2026.
• Sets a phased rollout schedule: kindergarten starting the 2026-2027 school year, first grade in 2027-2028, and second grade in 2028-2029.

Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade students in Georgia public schools, along with their parents and guardians, teachers, school principals, local school boards, and the Department of Education and State Board of Education, which must write and enforce the new standards.

Young Georgia students who don't meet new reading or readiness benchmarks could be held back a grade rather than automatically advancing, following a formal process of notice, retesting, extra instruction, and a possible parent-teacher-principal appeal before third grade already uses this system.

• Section 1 names the bill the 'Stop Social Promotion Act.'
• Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 20-2-151 so the Department of Education, rather than local school systems using readiness data with teacher recommendations, develops promotional standards and criteria for first grade readiness.
• Section 3 amends O.C.G.A. § 20-2-283 to add kindergarten, first grade and second grade to the existing promotion criteria for grades three, five and eight, requiring the State Board of Education to adopt K-2 criteria by January 1, 2026.
• Section 3 adds new promotion rules: students can be held back from first grade for not meeting readiness standards, from second grade for failing the first grade reading assessment, and from third grade for failing the second grade reading assessment.
• Section 4 amends O.C.G.A. § 20-2-284 to require local boards to adopt kindergarten through second grade placement and promotion policies by July 1, 2026.
• Section 5 amends O.C.G.A. § 20-2-285 to set the implementation timetable: kindergarten in 2026-2027, first grade in 2027-2028, and second grade in 2028-2029.

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

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

• grade retention
• public schools
• kindergarten readiness
• education policy
• reading assessments