Bill Text: GA HR489 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Comm Sub

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Bill Title: Professional Learning Rules Task Force; establish

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2012-01-09 - Senate Read and Referred [HR489 Detail]

Download: Georgia-2011-HR489-Comm_Sub.html

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11 LC 33 4176S

House Resolution 489 (COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE)

By: Representatives Thomas of the 100th, Carter of the 175th, Kaiser of the 59th, Coleman of the 97th, Morgan of the 39th, and others

A RESOLUTION

Directing the State Board of Education to revise its professional learning rules, to establish a Professional Learning Rules Task Force, and to provide written guidance; directing the Professional Standards Commission to establish certification renewal rules that require the impact of professional learning on educator performance and student learning and to establish a task force; directing the Georgia Department of Education and the Georgia Professional Standards Commission to cooperatively develop a course on educator ethics to include information on the official Georgia Code of Ethics for educators and have as one area of emphasis best practices for administering state mandated tests; and for other purposes.

Part I

WHEREAS, the Professional Standards Commission is revising current certification rules that require the demonstration of the impact of professional learning on educator performance and student performance, effective July 2015; and

WHEREAS, subsection (b) of Code Section 20-2-201 of the O.C.G.A. requires all certificated professional personnel "each calendar year" to participate in continuing education programs that "focus on improving the skills of certificated personnel that directly relate to improving student achievement"; and

WHEREAS, the most important factor contributing to a student's success in school is the quality of teaching, and professional learning is the primary means for improving the quality of teaching; and

WHEREAS, all teachers engage in professional learning that is conceived, organized, managed, and evaluated under the authority of local school boards; and

WHEREAS, professional learning is more effective when its conception, organization, management, and evaluation is consistent with research findings that identify practices that improve teachers' instruction; and

WHEREAS, implementation of the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards adopted by the State Board of Education requires long-term, in-depth, job-embedded professional learning; and

WHEREAS, the House Study Committee on Professional Learning concluded that educators need time to improve their knowledge, skills, and dispositions and that such professional learning best occurs in a job-embedded context, with colleagues, sustained over time.

Part 2

WHEREAS, the goal of professional learning is to improve educational practices that result in higher student achievement; and

WHEREAS, efforts to improve student achievement can succeed only by building the capacity of teachers and leaders to improve their practices; and

WHEREAS, effective professional learning can be defined as that which results in improvement in educator knowledge and practices, as well as improved student learning outcomes; and

WHEREAS, research has shown that well-designed professional learning can improve practice and increase student achievement if it is intensive, ongoing, and connected to practice; is focused on student learning and addresses the teaching of specific curriculum content; is aligned with school improvement priorities and goals; and is used to build strong working relationships among teachers and leaders; and

WHEREAS, professional learning should focus on what practices are needed to improve student learning; and

WHEREAS, a core expectation of the education profession should be that educators demonstrate improvement over the course of a career; and

WHEREAS, Georgia's Race to the Top plan requires the measure of teacher effectiveness and also states that the effectiveness of teachers will be improved through targeted professional learning; and

WHEREAS, Georgia's Race to the Top plan states that Georgia will revise professional learning unit (PLU) requirements for recertification so that all professional learning activity undertaken by educators between certificate cycles is sharply aligned with potential weaknesses brought to light by effectiveness measures.

Part 3

WHEREAS, the House Study Committee on Professional Learning recommended that the Department of Education and the Georgia Professional Standards Commission develop a course on educator ethics with one area of emphasis being best practices for administering state mandated tests; and

WHEREAS, the Georgia Code of Ethics for educators defines the professional behavior of educators in Georgia and provides guidance for protecting the health, safety, and general welfare of students and educators and assuring the citizens of Georgia a degree of accountability with the education profession;

WHEREAS, an educator shall administer state mandated assessments fairly and ethically; and

WHEREAS, reliable and valid student assessment results are integral to the provision of accurate information to develop the overall school improvement plan; and

WHEREAS, reliable and valid student assessment results are integral to accurate reporting of student progress to parents; and

WHEREAS, reliable and valid student assessment results are integral to determining teacher effectiveness and providing targeted professional learning to support instructional improvement.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

Part 1
SECTION 1-1.

The State Board of Education shall revise its professional learning rules so it is the responsibility of principals, district leaders, and state leaders to ensure that teachers have opportunities for professional learning that reflect the findings of the House Study Committee on Professional Learning and are consistent with major research findings and best practices regarding professional learning.

SECTION 1-2.

The State Board of Education shall align its rules with the new Professional Standards Commission certification renewal rules requiring the demonstration of the impact of professional learning on educator and student performance when the commission's rules take effect.

SECTION 1-3.

(a) The Department of Education shall establish the Professional Learning Rules Task Force for the purposes of reviewing current State Board of Education professional learning rules, reviewing current research regarding professional learning, providing suggestions for revisions to the rules, and providing suggestions for implementation.
(b) The task force shall be composed of, at a minimum, the following members:

(1) One representative of the Professional Standards Commission;

(2) One representative of the Department of Education;

(3) One district level professional learning coordinator;

(4) One representative from the central office of the University System of Georgia;

(5) One representative from a college of education within the University System of Georgia;

(6) One representative from a private college of education in this state;

(7) One representative from a regional educational service agency;

(8) One representative local school superintendent;

(9) One representative public school principal;

(10) One representative public school elementary school teacher;

(11) One representative public school middle school teacher;

(12) One representative public school high school teacher;

(13) One representative from the Georgia Staff Development Council, and

(14) One representative from Learning Forward (National Staff Development Council).

(c) The representative from the Department of Education shall serve as chairperson of the task force. The task force shall meet at the call of the chairperson.
(d) Members of the task force shall serve without compensation.

SECTION 1-4.

The task force shall present recommendations for professional learning rules to the State Board of Education no later than July 1, 2013. Recommendations shall be included in revisions to the State Board of Education professional learning rules and shall be adopted on or before June 30, 2015.

SECTION 1-5.

The Department of Education shall provide written guidance aligned to revised State Board of Education professional learning rules.

Part 2
SECTION 2-1.

The Professional Standards Commission is directed to:

(1) Revise its certification renewal rules so that demonstration of the impact of professional learning on educator performance and student performance is required in order for certification to be renewed, effective July, 2015; and

(2) Establish a task force to determine the level of evidence necessary for educators to demonstrate the impact of professional learning and how this evidence will be collected and submitted for the purposes of certificate renewal.

Part 3
SECTION 3-1.

The Georgia Department of Education and the Georgia Professional Standards Commission shall cooperatively develop a course on educator ethics to include information on the official Georgia Code of Ethics for educators and have as one area of emphasis best practices for administering state mandated tests.