Georgia committee advances broad literacy bill to add K–3 coaches, task force and screening standards

A House committee on Friday advanced a broad literacy package, LC492653S (House Bill 1193), that would require school systems to place qualified literacy coaches in schools serving kindergarten through third grade, create regional and leadership coaching positions, and establish a Georgia literacy task force to recommend universal reading screeners and high-quality instructional materials aligned to the science of reading.

The bill, presented to the committee as a substitute reflecting subcommittee revisions, also encourages families to enroll children by age 5, tightens rules for placement and promotion in kindergarten and first grade, and requires ongoing evaluations of educator preparation programs (EPPs). Chair (Speaker 1) told the panel the measure was "a state-changing" initiative intended to help "teach every single child in this state to read."

Sponsor and supporters said the measure is intended to give school systems a standardized set of tools and support. "We're placing qualified literacy coaches in public schools" and providing "comprehensive curriculum-based professional learning," the chair said, adding the effort builds on earlier legislation, including HB 538.

Committee members probed how the bill interacts with existing law and with local practice. Representative (Speaker 7) asked about an apparent change from enrolling by a child’s fifth birthday to sixth birthday; Legislative Counsel (Speaker 8) confirmed the compulsory attendance age remains six and that an earlier five-year reference was an earlier draft error. The chair defended keeping September 1 as a familiar cutoff for parents and educators, saying changing it now would cause confusion.

Members also raised questions about retention, so-called "redshirting" (deliberately delaying school entry), and safeguards for students retained multiple years. The chair said retained students would need individualized education plans (IEPs) when appropriate and that the bill’s unified literacy plans are intended to help older students who remain below grade level.

On funding and staffing, Chairman Dubnick (Speaker 6) urged support for FY27 budget allocations to implement the program statewide and linked reading proficiency to longer-term outcomes such as poverty and incarceration rates. The chair estimated the rollout will require roughly 1,300 literacy coaches and noted the state currently has more than 5,000 open certified positions.

The bill sets a limit of two to five universal reading screeners that the literacy task force would recommend; the State Board of Education would then approve no fewer than two and no more than five options, with the state covering the highest-rated screener for each system. The bill also specifies coach duties and limits what coaches may do to ensure they focus primarily on classroom instruction.

Committee members expressed support and raised implementation questions; after debate, the committee recorded a motion to approve LC492653S and approved it by voice vote. The committee vote was recorded as unanimous. The chair closed by saying the measure would be carried forward for further action.

The committee also advanced a related urging resolution on expanding vision and hearing screening for students (LC492231S), citing undiagnosed vision or hearing problems as a barrier to early reading progress. That resolution was approved later in the same session.

What happens next: The committee-approved bill will move to the next step in the House process for additional consideration and any further amendments.