Rep. Carmen Rice presents bill to strengthen teacher-preparation accountability

Rep. Carmen Rice told the Education and Youth Committee she introduced House Bill 1107, the Excellent Teacher Preparation Act (LC 492669S), to strengthen accountability and transparency for educator preparation providers across Georgia.

"House Bill 1107, the Excellent Teacher Preparation Act represents another meaningful step strengthening education educator preparation in Georgia and ensuring that our teacher pipeline remains strong, effective, and responsive to the needs of our students," Rice said. She said the bill requires the Georgia Professional Standards Commission to establish uniform statewide performance measures beginning in January 2027.

The bill lists performance indicators Rice said will be included in the measures: enrollment and completion rates, first-and-best-attempt rates on the GACE, job placement and retention at one, three and five years, satisfaction rates, teacher evaluation data, and student performance outcomes. Rice told the committee the data framework is intended to align educator preparation with literacy and math reforms already enacted by the legislature.

"There is nothing punitive in this bill," Rice said, framing the measure as a tool for assessment and continuous program improvement rather than punishment.

Miranda Williams, southeast legislative director at Excel in Ed in Action, testified in support, saying the bill updates how Georgia evaluates teacher-preparation programs and urged committee approval. "We support the bill and we urge the committee to vote yes," Williams said.

Jenna Coleman of the Georgia Independent College Association, which represents the state's nonprofit independent colleges, told the committee that 21 member schools offer teacher-preparation programs and raised questions about administrative burden. Coleman asked whether the Professional Standards Commission already collects some of the data and who would administer and track the graduate-employer survey; Rice responded the PSC currently collects some data and will administer the survey.

The committee moved to advance the bill. A committee member made a motion and a second was recorded; the chair later announced that both bills considered that day passed unanimously by voice/raised-hands vote. The transcript records the committee vote by voice/raise-hands and the chair's summary "2 bills, 100% each bill," but it does not include a roll-call tally.

Why it matters: supporters said uniform performance measures will help prospective teachers and parents compare programs, help districts align training with hiring needs, and inform continuous improvement of educator preparation.

Next steps: the committee advanced HB1107 from committee. The transcript does not record subsequent floor scheduling or the exact vote tally by member.