GA Code § 20-14-46 (2021)
2021 Georgia Code|Title 20 - Education|Chapter 14 - Education Accountability|Article 2 - Education Accountability Assessment Programs|Part 3A - Turnaround Schools|§ 20-14-46. On-Site Diagnostic Review by Third-Party Specialist; Development of Intensive School Improvement Plan

  Within 30 days of entering into a contract amendment or intervention contract between the State Board of Education and a local board of education pursuant to Code Section 20-14-45, the local board of education shall, in consultation with the turnaround coach, select a third-party specialist to conduct a comprehensive on-site diagnostic review in cooperation with the regional educational service agency and the turnaround coach of the school to determine the root causes of low performance and lack of progress. Such third-party specialist may be selected from the approved list established pursuant to paragraph (2) of subsection (c) of Code Section 20-14-43 at the expense of the state, or the local board of education may select its own third-party specialist, upon approval by the Chief Turnaround Officer, at the expense of the local school system. The turnaround coach shall ensure that the third-party specialist receives all relevant data held at the state level as it relates to the local school system and school, including the system charter or contract, financial audits, funding allotments, federal funds, state assessment data, and any other relevant information as it relates to school performance. The third-party specialist shall also review the most recent local school system accreditation report regarding system level governance and leadership, resource utilization, teaching and learning effectiveness, and academic achievement.   Within 90 days of entering into a contract amendment or intervention contract between the State Board of Education and a local board of education, the turnaround coach, in partnership with the regional educational service agency, shall ensure that the local board of education and the third-party specialist have completed a comprehensive on-site evaluation of the school to determine the root causes of the school's low performance and lack of progress. The comprehensive on-site diagnostic review shall include a leadership assessment to determine the capacity of the school leader to lead the turnaround efforts, as well as a review of system level support and interventions, including central office policies and supports, technical assistance and guidance, financial management, and appropriate use of resources in accordance with approved waivers under the system charter or contract.   Based on the comprehensive on-site evaluation, the turnaround coach, in partnership with the regional educational service agency, shall recommend actions, which may include, but not be limited to, reallocation of resources and technical assistance, changes in school procedures or operations, professional learning focused on student achievement for instructional and administrative staff, intervention for individual administrators or teachers, instructional strategies based on scientifically based research, additional waivers from state statutes or rules, adoption of policies and practices to ensure all groups of students meet the state's proficiency level, extended instruction time for low-performing students, strategies for parental involvement, incorporation of a teacher mentoring program, smaller class size for low-performing students, or other actions deemed appropriate.   Based on the evaluation and recommendations and after public input from parents and the community, the school shall develop an intensive school improvement plan, approved by the Chief Turnaround Officer, that specifically addresses the academic insufficiencies identified by the school's rating in the single state-wide accountability system. The local board of education shall not be eligible for supplemental funding to support the implementation of the plan unless such local board demonstrates financial need based on its most current annual budget and the results of the most recent audit. The local board of education shall coordinate the hiring and contract renewal process for personnel and the allocation of school resources to support such plan. In developing the timelines in the intensive school improvement plan, the school shall take into consideration the budget cycles, employment contract deadlines, and other appropriate factors relating to the planning process. The school, with the support of the local board of education, local school superintendent, and principal, shall implement the plan with ongoing input and assistance from the Chief Turnaround Officer and performance monitoring by the Department of Education's school improvement division.     (Code 1981, §20-14-46, enacted by Ga. L. 2017, p. 75, § 2-1/HB 338; Ga. L. 2020, p. 62, § 2-7/SB 68.)    The 2020 amendment,  effective July 1, 2021, substituted "Department of Education's school improvement division" for "turnaround coach" at the end of the last sentence of subsection (d).   Code Commission notes.   - Pursuant to Code Section 28-9-5, in 2017, Code Section 20-14-46 as enacted by Ga. L. 2017, p. 93, § 1/HB 139, was redesignated as Code Section 20-14-49.11.