§ 20-2-285.1 - Provisions applicable to third-grade criterion-referenced reading assessment students
O.C.G.A. 20-2-285.1 (2010)
20-2-285.1. Provisions applicable to third-grade criterion-referenced reading assessment students
(a) This Code section will apply to students tested with the third-grade criterion-referenced reading assessment in the 2003-2004 school year only.
(b) All provisions of Code Sections 20-2-283, 20-2-284, and 20-2-285 shall apply. Local school systems are authorized to place students that fail the third-grade criterion-referenced reading assessment in a transition class, provide extended third-grade early intervention programs for such students, or to use both a transition class and extended third-grade early intervention programs for such students, in addition to other methods of instruction. In addition, the State Board of Education shall contract with one or more faculty members or associates of the Georgia State University Andrew Young School of Public Policy or other independent experts having similar qualifications for the performance of a study of all third-grade students who fail the first criterion-referenced reading assessment in the 2003-2004 school year. Such study shall compile data for each such student, including but not limited to: identification of the student's school and school system; information regarding the type, frequency, and provider of the accelerated, differentiated, or additional instruction provided to the student, disaggregated by the time period before and the time period after the second assessment; information regarding the funding source for such instruction and an explanation if such instruction is not received by the student; information regarding the assessment instrument used to retest the student, the date of the second assessment, and the student's performance on such second assessment; information as to whether the student was promoted or retained; information regarding the student's performance on the criterion-referenced reading assessment in the 2004-2005 school year; and information relating to the student relative to the categories for disaggregation authorized or adopted in accordance with this chapter. The department shall supply aggregate data to the Governor and members of the Senate Education and Youth Committee and House Committee on Education on the number of students who failed the first assessment within 30 days after the department receives the test scores and aggregate data on the number of students failing the second assessment 45 days thereafter. The completed study and any part of the study provided to any person not employed by the Department of Education or a local school system shall not reveal the identity of any student. The persons conducting the study shall regard all data identifying individual students as confidential and shall guard the privacy of all students. No person shall reveal information relating to an individual student that identifies such student to anyone except employees of the department or the local school system attended by the student, the student, or the student's parent or guardian. The study shall be provided to the Governor and the members of the Senate Education and Youth Committee and House Committee on Education as soon as feasible, and the compilation of data on the students' performance on the reading assessment in the 2004-2005 school year may be provided separately. The completed study shall be subject to the provisions of Article 4 of Chapter 18 of Title 50 relating to the inspecting of public records.