Section 20-2-154. Remedial education program

   (a) All children and youth who are eligible for a general and career education program under Code Section 20-2-151 and who are also eligible under the criteria specified in this Code section shall be provided, in accordance with policies adopted by the State Board of Education, the remedial education program services needed to address their respective reading, mathematics, or writing deficiencies. The following students shall be eligible for remedial education services:

   (1) Students in grades six through 12 may be eligible for services if they meet two or more of the following criteria:

      (A) The student has been through the formal student support team process and has documented evidence to support the placement in remedial education;

      (B) The student has been retained in the grade;

      (C) The student is receiving services under Part A of Chapter 1 of Title 1 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-382);

      (D) The student has been recommended by the teacher who has documented any of the following student information:

         (i) Low performance in the reading series system;

         (ii) Low performance in the mathematics series; or

         (iii) The student is unable to verbally express ideas and cannot write or dictate a meaningful sentence; or

      (E) Current test information in the student file indicates the student has a score at or below the twenty-fifth percentile; and

   (2) Students in grades six through 12 who are receiving services under the special education program as authorized by Code Section 20-2-152 and whose Individualized Education Programs (IEP's) specify that they meet the eligibility requirements specified in paragraph (1) of this subsection and that their special education program is not designed to address their respective reading, mathematics, or writing deficiencies.

No more than 25 percent of the full-time equivalent population in eligible grades as specified in paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection shall be eligible for the remedial program; provided, however, that the State Board of Education may develop regulations whereby a higher percentage may be eligible if the percentage of students receiving free and reduced price lunches exceeds 50 percent.

(b) Each local unit of administration shall submit to the State Board of Education by July 1 of each year the average achievement scores by subject area and grade level of all students who were receiving instructional services under the provisions of this Code section, except those students whose Individualized Education Programs under the special education program state they shall not be administered such achievement tests. If appropriate evaluation data are not received from a local school system by the state board by July 1 of each year, after a hearing has been held for the system, the subsequent allocation of funds under this Code section for the next fiscal year shall be withheld in accordance with the procedure specified in Code Section 20-2-243. The state board shall monitor each local school system's remedial education program at least once each year. The state board shall annually request sufficient state funds to pay a pro rata share of the costs associated with the staff of the federal compensatory education program for disadvantaged children when such staff is used to evaluate the remedial education program under this Code section in conjunction with the evaluation of the federal compensatory education program for disadvantaged children in the same local school system.

Code 1981, § 20-2-154, enacted by Ga. L. 1985, p. 1657, § 1; Ga. L. 1987, p. 1169, § 1; Ga. L. 1988, p. 612, § 6; Ga. L. 1991, p. 1630, § 1.1; Ga. L. 2000, p. 618, § 16; Ga. L. 2001, p. 148, § 2; Ga. L. 2006, p. 743, § 1/SB 515.