hr60.html

05 LC 22 5714

House Resolution 60

By: Representative Ashe of the 56th

A RESOLUTION

Urging the State Board of Education and the State School Superintendent to revise Georgiás accountability plan to include student performance in social studies in elementary schools; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended in 2001, requires states requesting federal funds for education to submit a state accountability plan to the United States Department of Education for approval; and

WHEREAS, the United States Department of Education has approved Georgiás plan and subsequent amendments to the plan; and

WHEREAS, the accountability plan establishes academic standards and includes testing requirements to measure whether student achievement in each local public school is making adequate yearly progress; and

WHEREAS, students in local schools that fail to achieve adequate yearly progress may be eligible to receive supplemental services, such as tutoring or remedial instruction, and may be eligible to transfer to a local public school that is achieving adequate yearly progress; and

WHEREAS, Georgia elementary schools test students in reading, English/language arts, math, social studies, and science with criterion-referenced tests designed to measure whether the students are learning the state curriculum for these subjects; and

WHEREAS, although elementary students are tested in social studies, adequate yearly progress is measured only by student performance on reading, English/language arts, and math; and

WHEREAS, social studies encompass instruction in history, civics, and government that is vital to educating students to become informed citizens, capable of exercising good judgment in voting and participating in our democracy; and

WHEREAS, high school students are tested on social studies for the high school graduation test, and many have not performed well in social studies and are in danger of completing high school without graduating because of inadequate performance in social studies; and

WHEREAS, revising Georgiás plan to require measuring student achievement in social studies in elementary school would appropriately emphasize the importance of social studies and lead to improvement in elementary instruction, providing students with better preparation for high school instruction in social studies and enhancing their opportunities to graduate from high school.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body urge the State Board of Education and the State School Superintendent to amend Georgia’s accountability plan to measure adequate yearly progress in elementary students to include social studies.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to transmit appropriate copies of this resolution to the State Board of Education and the State School Superintendent.