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The House Committee on Education offers the following substitute to SB 179:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to1
elementary and secondary education, so as to provide that, beginning in the 2031-20322
school year, a computer science course shall be a high school graduation requirement; to3
provide for certain computer science courses to be substituted for units of credit graduation4
requirements in certain other subject areas; to provide for such exception; to revise legislative5
findings; to increase the allowable charge per student per semester for each Georgia Virtual6
School course from $250.00 to $350.00; to include certain online schools in the definition7
of "private school"; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other8
purposes.9
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:10
SECTION 1.11
Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elementary and12
secondary education, is amended by revising Code Section 20-2-149.3, relating to13
requirements for computer science education, as follows:14
"20-2-149.3.15
(a) The General Assembly finds that:16
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(1) Education in computer science is a critical need for the students of Georgia for the17
twenty-first century; and18
(2) Less than 0.5 percent of high school graduates have taken a computer science course;19
(3) There are thousands of unfulfilled computer science jobs in the state; and20
(4) The logical critical thinking skills taught by computer science are now very valuable21
in many noncomputer science jobs, as technology has become embedded in most22
professions.23
(b) As used in this Code section, the term:24
(1) 'Computer science' means the study of computers, algorithmic processes, coding,25
computer science ethics, artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, and logical critical26
thinking, including computer principles, their hardware and software designs, their27
implementation, and their impact on society.28
(2) 'Computer science courses and content' means high school courses that teach29
computer science as stand-alone implementations and middle school courses that provide30
instruction in computer science in stand-alone implementations or by being embedded31
in other subjects and focus on how to create and understand technology, rather than by32
simply using technology.33
(3) 'High-quality professional learning' means professional development activities that:34
(A) Clarify the conceptual foundations of computer science;35
(B) Teach research based practices, including hands-on and inquiry based learning; and36
(C) Are intended for teachers with or without prior exposure to computer science.37
(4) 'High-quality professional learning providers' means institutions of higher education38
in this state, local school systems, nonprofit organizations, or private entities that have39
successfully designed, implemented, and scaled high-quality professional learning for40
teachers and are approved or recommended by the State Board of Education in41
coordination with the Department of Education.42
(5) 'Offer' means providing a course taught by a computer science teacher:43
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(A) Who is onsite at the physical location of the school; or44
(B) Who is not onsite at the physical location of the school but conducts the course45
through virtual means with a proctor onsite at the physical location of the school.46
(c)(1) Beginning in the 2022-2023 school year:47
(A) Each local school system shall provide that at least one high school in its school48
system offer a course in computer science;49
(B) Each local school system shall provide that all middle schools in its school system50
offer instruction in exploratory computer science;51
(C) Each state charter school that serves high school students shall offer a course in52
computer science;53
(D) Each state charter school that serves middle school students shall offer instruction54
in exploratory computer science;55
(E) Each local school system may provide that all elementary schools in its school56
system offer instruction in exploratory computer science; and57
(F) Each state charter school that serves elementary school students may offer58
instruction in exploratory computer science.59
(2) Beginning in the 2023-2024 school year, each local school system shall provide that60
at least 50 percent of the high schools in its school system offer a course in computer61
science.62
(3) Beginning in the 2024-2025 school year, each local school system shall provide that63
all high schools in its school system offer a course in computer science.64
(4)(A) Beginning in the 2031-2032 school year, each local board of education shall65
require all students who will graduate in 2037 or later, as a condition of graduation66
from high school, to complete a course in computer science or a career, technical, and67
agricultural education (CTAE) course embedded with computer science which meets68
the requirements provided in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph.69
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(B) The course required in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph may be earned by70
students in any of grades eight through 12 and shall:71
(i) Meet or exceed the content standards and any other requirements prescribed by72
the State Board of Education for such courses;73
(ii) Be made available in a traditional classroom setting, a blended learning74
environment, or an online or other technology based format that is tailored to meet the75
needs of each participating student; and76
(iii) Not increase the number of credits required for graduation.77
(C)(i) Except as provided in division (ii) of this subparagraph, a full-credit computer78
science course that meets the requirements provided in subparagraph (B) of this79
paragraph shall be eligible to satisfy the course required in subparagraph (A) of this80
paragraph and one unit of credit graduation requirement for one of the following:81
(I) One unit of math credit; provided, however, that such unit of credit shall not be82
a substitute for Algebra: Concepts and Connections or its equivalent, Geometry:83
Concepts and Connections or its equivalent, or Advanced Algebra: Concepts and84
Connections or its equivalent;85
(II) One unit of science credit; provided, however, that such unit of credit shall not86
be a substitute for Biology or an equivalent, Physical Science, Physics, Chemistry,87
Earth Systems, Environmental Science, or an advanced placement or international88
baccalaureate course;89
(III) One unit of CTAE credit;90
(IV) One unit of Modern Language or Latin credit;91
(V) One unit of Fine Arts credit; or92
(VI) One unit of elective credit.93
(ii) A student may be permitted to earn more than one unit of credit graduation94
requirement by completing more than one computer science course that implements95
a minimum course of instruction based on content standards prescribed by the State96
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Board of Education and which is separate and distinct from such other computer97
science course completed by such student, and such student may be permitted to use98
multiple units of credit to offset other graduation requirements as provided in this99
subparagraph; provided, however, that a student shall not be permitted to offset more100
than one unit of math credit and one unit of science credit; and, provided, further, that101
there shall be no limit to the number of offsets permitted for units of CTAE or elective102
credits.103
(D)(i) Except as provided in division (ii) of this subparagraph, a full-credit CTAE104
course embedded with computer science that meets the requirements provided in105
subparagraph (B) of this paragraph shall be eligible to satisfy the full-credit course106
required in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph and one unit of credit graduation107
requirement for one of the following:108
(I) One unit of CTAE credit; or109
(II) One unit of elective credit.110
(ii) A student may be permitted to earn more than one unit of credit graduation111
requirement by completing more than one CTAE course embedded with computer112
science that implements a minimum course of instruction based on content standards113
prescribed by the State Board of Education and which is separate and distinct from114
such other computer science course completed by such student, and such student may115
be permitted to use multiple units of credit to offset other graduation requirements as116
provided in this subparagraph.117
(E) The Department of Education shall establish, and the State Board of Education118
shall approve, the minimum criteria by which a CTAE course embedded with computer119
science may be approved.120
(d) The Department of Education shall ensure that the Georgia Virtual School operated121
pursuant to Code Section 20-2-319.1 has sufficient capacity to enable schools to utilize122
computer science courses to meet the needs of such schools as a result of this Code section.123
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(e)(1) Subject to appropriations, grants shall be provided to eligible entities to deliver124
professional development programs for teachers providing instruction in computer125
science courses and content.126
(2) Eligible entities shall include local school systems, consortia of local school systems,127
local charter schools, state charter schools, and high-quality professional learning128
providers working in partnership with local school systems.129
(3) Criteria for grant awards to eligible entities pursuant to this subsection shall include:130
(A) The number of teachers in a local school system that require training and the131
number of teachers in a local school system that have already received training; and132
(B) The willingness of local school systems to make available their teachers who have133
received training in computer science courses and content to provide computer science134
instruction in another local school system or systems.135
(4) The Department of Education shall submit a report on December 1 of each year to136
the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the137
chairperson of the Senate Education and Youth Committee, and the chairperson of the138
House Committee on Education. Such report shall include the number of teachers139
trained, the number of schools offering training, the number of students served and the140
demographics of such students, and a list of the eligible entities that provided the141
training."142
SECTION 2.143
Said chapter is further amended in Code Section 20-2-319.1, relating to the Georgia Virtual144
School, by revising paragraphs (2) and (3) of subsection (b) as follows:145
"(2) The local school system shall pay to the department costs for tuition, materials, and146
fees directly related to the approved course taken by a student in its school system147
through the Georgia Virtual School; provided, however, that in no event shall the amount148
of tuition charged to and paid by the local school system on behalf of such student exceed149
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$250.00 $350.00 per student per semester course; and provided, further, that, if a student150
participates in courses through the Georgia Virtual School that are in excess of the151
maximum number of courses a student may be enrolled in during a school day, such152
student shall be subject to the cost of tuition not to exceed $250.00 $350.00 per student153
per semester course.154
(3) Students in home study programs and private schools in this state may enroll in155
courses through the Georgia Virtual School at no cost, if appropriations are provided for156
such purpose in accordance with paragraph (1) of this subsection. If appropriations are157
not provided or if appropriations are provided but have been expended for such purpose,158
students in home study programs and private schools in this state may enroll in courses159
through the Georgia Virtual School based on availability of slots; provided, however, that160
such students shall be subject to the cost of tuition not to exceed $250.00 $350.00 per161
student per semester course."162
SECTION 3.163
Said chapter is further amended in Code Section 20-2-690, relating to educational entities,164
requirements for private schools and home study programs, and learning pod protection, by165
revising paragraph (3) of subsection (b) as follows:166
"(3) The institution provides instruction each 12 months for the equivalent of 180 school167
days of education with each school day consisting of at least four and one-half school168
hours; provided, however, that a nonpublic institution which meets the requirements of169
paragraphs (1), (2), and (4) of this subsection and which solely provides virtual170
instruction shall be deemed a private school notwithstanding whether such institution171
provides instruction each 12 months for the equivalent of 180 school days of education172
with each school day consisting of at least four and one-half school hours;"173
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SECTION 4.174
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.175
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