HB 586 - Home study programs; amend provisions

First Reader Summary

A BILL to amend Code Section 20-2-690 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to requirements for private schools and home study programs, so as to provide that parents or guardians must have at least a baccalaureate degree to teach their children at home; and for other purposes.

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HB 586                                             LC 21 4382 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                        A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 
                               AN ACT 
 
 
  1- 1  To amend Code Section 20-2-690 of the Official Code of 
  1- 2  Georgia Annotated, relating to requirements for private 
  1- 3  schools and home study programs, so as to provide that 
  1- 4  parents or guardians must have at least a baccalaureate 
  1- 5  degree to teach their children at home; to provide for 
  1- 6  standardized testing of home study students; to provide for 
  1- 7  semiannual progress assessments; to provide that parents or 
  1- 8  guardians shall maintain certain records; to provide for a 
  1- 9  curriculum and lesson plans; to provide for immunization 
  1-10  records and visual and audio testing; to provide for an 
  1-11  annual assessment of home study students by a certified 
  1-12  teacher; to provide for remedial instruction; to provide 
  1-13  that no home study program shall be allowed in a home in 
  1-14  which either parent has been convicted of child molestation, 
  1-15  child abuse, or spouse abuse; to provide an effective date; 
  1-16  to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. 
 
  1-17       BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: 
 
  1-18                           SECTION 1. 
 
  1-19  Code Section 20-2-690 of the Official Code of Georgia 
  1-20  Annotated, relating to requirements for private schools and 
  1-21  home study programs, is amended by striking subsection (c) 
  1-22  of said Code section in its entirety and inserting in lieu 
  1-23  thereof the following: 
 
  1-24    "(c) Parents or guardians may teach their children at home 
  1-25    in a home study program which meets the following 
  1-26    requirements: 
 
  1-27      (1) The parent, parents, or guardian must submit within 
  1-28      30 days after the establishment of a home study program 
  1-29      and by September 1 annually thereafter a declaration of 
  1-30      intent to utilize a home study program to the 
  1-31      superintendent of schools of the local school district 
  1-32      in which the home study program is located; 
 
  1-33      (2) The declaration shall include a list of the names 
  1-34      and ages of the students who are enrolled in the home 
 
 
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  2- 1      study program, the address where the home study program 
  2- 2      is located, and a statement of the 12 month period that 
  2- 3      is to be considered the school year for that home study 
  2- 4      program.  Enrollment records and reports shall not be 
  2- 5      used for any purpose except providing necessary 
  2- 6      enrollment information, except with the permission of 
  2- 7      the parent or guardian of a child or pursuant to the 
  2- 8      subpoena of a court of competent jurisdiction; 
 
  2- 9      (3) Parents or guardians may teach only their own 
  2-10      children in the home study program provided the teaching 
  2-11      parent or guardian possesses at least a high school 
  2-12      diploma or a general educational development (GED) 
  2-13      equivalency diploma, but baccalaureate degree, and the 
  2-14      parents or guardians may employ a tutor who holds at 
  2-15      least a baccalaureate college degree to teach such 
  2-16      children is certified to teach in this state; 
 
  2-17      (4) The home study program shall provide a basic 
  2-18      academic educational program which includes, but is not 
  2-19      limited to, reading, language arts, mathematics, social 
  2-20      studies, and science; 
 
  2-21      (5) The home study program must provide instruction each 
  2-22      12 months to home study students equivalent to 180 
  2-23      school days of education with each school day consisting 
  2-24      of at least four and one-half school hours unless the 
  2-25      child is physically unable to comply with the rule 
  2-26      provided for in this paragraph; 
 
  2-27      (6) Attendance records for the home study program shall 
  2-28      be kept and shall be submitted at the end of each month 
  2-29      to the school superintendent of the local school 
  2-30      district in which the home study program is located. 
  2-31      Attendance records and reports shall not be used for any 
  2-32      purpose except providing necessary attendance 
  2-33      information, except with the permission of the parent or 
  2-34      guardian of a child or pursuant to the subpoena of a 
  2-35      court of competent jurisdiction; 
 
  2-36      (7) Students in home study programs shall be subject to 
  2-37      an appropriate nationally standardized testing program 
  2-38      administered in consultation with a person trained in 
  2-39      the administration and interpretation of norm reference 
  2-40      tests to evaluate their educational progress at least 
  2-41      every three years beginning at the end of the third 
  2-42      grade and records of such tests and scores shall be 
  2-43      retained but shall not be required to be submitted to 
 
 
 
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  3- 1      public educational authorities at the cost of the parent 
  3- 2      or guardian take national standardized tests designed to 
  3- 3      evaluate academic progress.  With the permission of the 
  3- 4      principal, such tests may be taken at the time and 
  3- 5      location of such tests given in the school offering 
  3- 6      appropriate grade levels nearest the students' homes; 
  3- 7      and 
 
  3- 8      (8) The home study program instructor shall write an 
  3- 9      annual a semiannual progress assessment report which 
  3-10      shall include the instructor's individualized assessment 
  3-11      of the student's academic progress in each of the 
  3-12      subject areas specified in paragraph (4) of this 
  3-13      subsection, and such progress reports shall be retained 
  3-14      by the parent, parents, or guardian of children in the 
  3-15      home study program for a period of at least three years. 
  3-16      ; 
 
  3-17      (9) The parent or guardian must maintain a portfolio of 
  3-18      records and materials consisting of a log, made 
  3-19      contemporaneously with the instruction, which designates 
  3-20      by title the reading materials used and samples of any 
  3-21      writings, worksheets, workbooks, and creative materials 
  3-22      used or developed by the student.  Such portfolio shall 
  3-23      be preserved by the parent for at least two years and 
  3-24      shall be made available for inspection by the 
  3-25      superintendent of schools of the local school district 
  3-26      in which the home study program is located; 
 
  3-27      (10) The home study program instructor must submit 
  3-28      within 30 days after the establishment of a home study 
  3-29      program and by September 1 annually thereafter a 
  3-30      curriculum and lesson plan for the current school year 
  3-31      to the superintendent of schools of the local school 
  3-32      district in which the home study program is located; 
 
  3-33      (11) The parent or guardian must submit the student's 
  3-34      record of immunization to the superintendent of schools 
  3-35      of the local school district in which the home study 
  3-36      program is located, subject to the same requirements and 
  3-37      exceptions applicable to public school students; 
 
  3-38      (12) The parent or guardian must ensure that the student 
  3-39      undergoes visual and hearing testing and submit the 
  3-40      record of the results of such testing to the 
  3-41      superintendent of schools of the local school district 
  3-42      in which the home study program is located, subject to 
 
 
 
 
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  4- 1      the same requirements and exceptions applicable to 
  4- 2      public school students; 
 
  4- 3      (13) A teacher selected by the parent or guardian shall 
  4- 4      evaluate the student's educational progress at the end 
  4- 5      of each school year upon review of the portfolio and 
  4- 6      discussion with the student.  Such teacher shall hold a 
  4- 7      valid regular Georgia certificate to teach academic 
  4- 8      subjects at the elementary or secondary level.  The 
  4- 9      teacher shall submit a written evaluation to the 
  4-10      superintendent of schools of the local school district 
  4-11      in which the home study program is located; 
 
  4-12      (14) If the student is found to be deficient either 
  4-13      through standardized testing or through the teacher 
  4-14      evaluation, the home school instructor must provide 
  4-15      remedial instruction, and the home study program shall 
  4-16      be on probation for one year; and 
 
  4-17      (15) No home study program shall be authorized in a home 
  4-18      in which either parent has been convicted of or pleaded 
  4-19      guilty or nolo contendere to charges of child 
  4-20      molestation, child abuse, or spouse abuse." 
 
  4-21                           SECTION 2. 
 
  4-22  Notwithstanding any provisions of Code Section 1-3-4.1 of 
  4-23  the Official Code of Georgia Annotated to the contrary, this 
  4-24  Act shall become effective on July 1, 1997. 
 
  4-25                           SECTION 3. 
 
  4-26  All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are 
  4-27  repealed. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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