Bill reducing testing impact in Georgia schools draws praise, criticism

A bill that passed the Georgia Legislature will reduce the impact of students' test results on teacher evaluations, but that move is drawing mixed reviews.

Senate Bill 364, in its final form, reduces that impact from 50 percent to 30 percent of the overall evaluation while also raising the attendance requirement to 90 percent for students to count toward a teacher's numbers. That means out of a 180-day school calendar, students must attend at least 162 days for their test scores to count.

Among educators and school administrators, the bill was largely received as a step in the right direction. The measure also eliminated eight science and social studies tests while adding first- and second-grade reading assessments.

"I commend the state Senate and House of Representatives for passing Senator Lindsey Tippins' bill -- SB 364 -- because it reflects many of the issues I've felt all along are burdensome to student learning and the recruitment and retention of our best teachers," state school Superintendent Richard Woods said in a statement after the bill passed.

Eric Payne, assistant superintendent for teaching and learning for Houston County schools, had hoped the bill would decrease the focus on testing in general. The energy directed toward an increasing number of tests has been a point of criticism for parents and teachers alike in recent years.

"I think everyone is in agreement that accountability is a good thing, but the amount of time spent on testing has gotten to be too much," Payne said.

The emphasis on student assessments and their weight in evaluating teachers have been commonly cited as reasons that educators are becoming unhappy and even leaving the field. While Payne couldn't confirm whether that had been in the case in Houston County, he said waning interest in the teaching field has been a concern, even at the college level.

"I know we've heard from colleges that they are seeing fewer people going into the teacher programs," he said. "I'm sure it is a factor."

A 2015 survey of more than 50,000 teachers in Georgia found that "number and emphasis of mandated tests" was the top reason educators cited for their peers leaving the classroom.

The measure was not without its detractors, though.

Michael O'Sullivan, state director for StudentsFirst Georgia, said his organization had spoken out publicly against the bill because it takes away the state's ability to "accurately identify" the quality of teachers.

"While we definitely understand the desire and the reasoning, we just thought they went a little too far in some areas," O'Sullivan said.

He pointed to the Measures of Effective Teaching Project, an initiative of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, as a basis for his organization's stance. According to research from the MET Project, Georgia's new guidelines place too low of an emphasis on student achievement, O'Sullivan said. He noted that research from the project suggests that test scores should make up 33 to 50 percent of teacher evaluations.

"When you fall outside of that range, you essentially lose predictability and could also lose some reliability and accuracy," he said, suggesting that there was room to lower the percentage but remain within the recommended range.

Monroe County school Superintendent Mike Hickman said the bill would actually provide a "happy medium" that encompasses a variety of measures for teachers. That includes a "professional growth" factor, and local districts could actually determine what that looks like for their employees.

"I think it's good common sense to adjust, as needed, so it fits what you're trying to do," he said.

Further, he said it was no one's goal to eliminate quality assurance for the state's educators.

"I think all teachers want accountability, but they want it to be fair," Hickman said.

Other language in the bill also caught O'Sullivan's eye as a potential problem.

In its final form, House Bill 364 gives school districts the ability to use school or district averages for teachers in subjects that aren't tested by the Georgia Milestones.

That means that an effective sixth-grade science teacher in a low-performing district could have his or her evaluation results deflated, and the reverse is true for ineffective teacher in a high-performing district.

"Either one of those, your individual performance could be negated by what your overall school's performance is," O'Sullivan said.

If signed by Gov. Nathan Deal, key portions of the bill will take effect over the next two school years.

To contact writer Jeremy Timmerman, call 744-4331 or find him on Twitter@MTJTimm.

This story was originally published March 31, 2016 at 8:51 AM with the headline "Bill reducing testing impact in Georgia schools draws praise, criticism ."