[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6697866,"mediaKeyId","2214924-2d4cd96e1d613177d9475291ff0ee4b9","parentId",2214924,"title","State officials say Georgia has 'moment of lift' on literacy; coaching, screeners and dyslexia work underway","audioSeconds",453,"startMs",4823000,"endMs",5276000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2214924-2d4cd96e1d613177d9475291ff0ee4b9&start=4823&end=5276","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2214924-2d4cd96e1d613177d9475291ff0ee4b9/thumbnail_4823000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6697866/Georgia/State-officials-say-Georgia-has-moment-of-lift-on-literacy-coaching-screeners-and-dyslexia-work-underway","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6697866-bfd261018a7b5fe68e2b6fbb7d485a0b/orig.mp4?Expires=1776454034&Signature=g4tYO6NAH7~HtBl4rxS7KJA~cpu4MZ1-EtRTbPy~neODN0jS94LloueiX0nJJ3KfcU5TBP3cFIp7KH-cgcpnE16eFfA4-yPCss2wvbSxh~riBJDJIXQgcta5kdVz6A-KyNddpINwehMwnEzS4RfRoxizyHwoxXAkbJNioPw0-4Yca-Vi07A8PZWcoZUznUFgAgIkR0qYfetOHmEcX5XviPzrOcaL8H4mjY2TeMXLq8RBtymV0rJcXfS4IjUmV6uFPyMZRednx-K4bwJ80WXn~TV61fage8YX-udzaiXj7yBJ-T4RFa1L2p5ffaBsk2FwAaYW8DOVyWw6QOuj0ElBHA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","State of Georgia ","date","2025-02-03T20:11:23.587Z","article","Officials from the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement (GOSA), the Georgia Department of Education and regional education service agencies told a joint Senate–House Education Committee that Georgia has aligned multiple agency efforts around a state literacy plan and is implementing new screeners, coaching and dyslexia supports.

Sarah Richards, the state literacy coach at GOSA, said the Georgia Council on Literacy is building a state literacy framework per Senate Bill 211 with three goals: \"every child a reader, every educator prepared, and every community supported.\" Richards emphasized cross‑agency participation from the university system, technical college system, DECAL (birth‑to‑5 services) and RESAs.

Amy Dantee, director of literacy at DOE, described implementation of the Georgia Early Literacy Act and related laws such as House Bill 538. She said the department had narrowed approved universal screeners for next year to a list of up to five products that meet statutory requirements and said tiered reading support plans are central to interventions for struggling students.

Why it matters: The committee heard that Georgia is coordinating statutory requirements, professional learning, and school supports so teachers have materials, screening data and coaching to intervene earlier and more consistently.

Coaching and delivery models
- The state described a three‑tiered coaching model: 63 RESA‑based Let's Read Georgia coaches; 60 Department of Education coaches assigned to federally identified Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) schools; and 32 Growing Readers coaches in a RESA‑delivered, cadre model.
- Officials said the coaching systems share common standards, the new Georgia K–12 ELA standards, and a consistent coaching framework tied to a coaching endorsement from the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.

Dyslexia and screening
- The panel noted Senate Bill 48 (the state's dyslexia law) and said this year is the first full implementation year for universal dyslexia screening; DOE staff and university partners are supporting districts on follow‑up assessments and interventions.
- Officials said the screening work will be paired with professional learning and tiered interventions so districts can diagnose dyslexia characteristics and place students into appropriate supports.

Questions raised by lawmakers
Committee members asked how standards will be preserved while expanding access and supports and how the state would measure progress across subgroups, including special education students. Officials said the new state ELA standards will be implemented next year and that Georgia’s assessment system (Georgia Milestones) remains highly correlated with NAEP; the council will establish additional literacy metrics and public dashboards.

Ending
Panelists asked lawmakers to sustain coordinated funding and policy support for coaching, tiered interventions, dyslexia screening, and teacher preparation so schools can translate training into classroom practice.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Meeting 1","oneSentenceSummary","Officials from the Governor's Office of Student Achievement, the Department of Education and regional education service agencies presented a coordinated literacy plan that aligns coaching, universal screeners, dyslexia screening and classroom supports under state laws such as the Georgia Early Literacy Act and recent bills.","taxTitle","SENATE, Committees, Legislative, Georgia","taxId",17658,"location","Georgia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6697872,"State behavioral health chief says school‑based mental‑health programs reach thousands but face workforce limits",245,3386000,3631000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2214924-2d4cd96e1d613177d9475291ff0ee4b9&start=3386&end=3631","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2214924-2d4cd96e1d613177d9475291ff0ee4b9/thumbnail_3386000.jpg","/articles/6697872/Georgia/State-behavioral-health-chief-says-schoolbased-mentalhealth-programs-reach-thousands-but-face-workforce-limits","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6697872-f33af5fab16917dbc18c69111c02b318/orig.mp4?Expires=1776454034&Signature=T9hLhqWzXZnDOhYcviXwAXoCKEH~drq7bfu6-zyUlshxlmzYoxwJg6A7LxSwu0ajbPIMpXqH-YP7Z~3UwMyv-BpUdTePEoL2RhM3aeFJfB~mvX~GMpU7FtjIU77FBDnT1V-OoymGuy7l6P4elAmjQbROQI5rEa0wPtawUEGUVGrWP5Ii~JrqwgeQcoYW7CvRaIikfOn9DgA5uKU7GM6EfysRNtObH~FA3TYT8TK~lgBiY1Z1~ALfetVD1eSWAlLUE9JT91tsB~MaPCy3Y0ttod2MHV6Nhn3N234EpDCoer8d7He6~N2mee93~8NJ~QDROV4vew1DT~katrKXHbwKZQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kevin Tanner, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, told a joint Senate–House Education Committee that school‑based mental‑health services have expanded but face persistent workforce and access challenges.

Tanner said APEX clinicians — licensed counselors and social workers embedded in schools — provided about 231,000 services during the 2023–24 school year, serving more than 16,000 students. He said 6,328 students had received APEX services for the first time last year and that 47% of APEX services were provided in rural areas and 53% in urban areas.

Tanner cautioned that staffing is the program’s chief constraint: APEX funded 468 licensed positions that supported 550 employees, but the department reported turnover of roughly 75 staff members in the prior year. He said Georgia’s current counselor‑to‑student ratio is about 1 to 432, compared with the American School Counselor Association recommended ratio of 1 to 250.

Why it matters: Lawmakers asked how to increase access to services in rural counties and how to build a pipeline of clinicians. Tanner said adding dollars alone will not solve shortages because the state lacks sufficient licensed clinicians; the department is pursuing telehealth, regional collaboration with RESAs, and workforce supports.

Programs and results
- APEX clinicians can bill Medicaid and private insurers; the program embeds clinicians in school buildings to meet children where they are.
- The department is piloting hybrid telehealth models that use local facilitators to connect students to remote clinicians; Tanner said those pilots have shown promise in reaching rural schools.
- The department also runs Project ECHO training to link pediatricians with psychiatric specialists, resiliency clubhouses (18 locations), recovery clubhouses (8 locations), and the statewide 988 crisis line.

Work group recommendations
Tanner described a behavioral‑health work group chaired by Hall County superintendent Will Schofield that recommended the behavioral‑health element of local school safety plans be strengthened and reviewed as part of GEMA’s plan approval process. The group recommended incentives — rather than only mandates — to encourage participation and suggested building facilitator career pathways to help connect students to services where a licensed clinician is not on site.

Questions and next steps
Committee members pressed the department for policy options to address licensure and retention barriers; Tanner cited licensing backlogs and market‑wide competition for clinicians. He recommended continued investment in telehealth, regional partnerships, and creation of facilitator positions to improve coverage.

Ending
Tanner told the committee the department will continue to expand telehealth and training to reach more students and asked legislators to consider measures that support clinician recruitment and retention.","Georgia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities told lawmakers the APEX school‑based clinician program expanded services but faces staff turnover and clinician shortages, and that telehealth and regional partnerships are being used to extend care to rural areas.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6697877,"State Homeland Security officials urge better information sharing, expand behavioral threat teams after school attacks",256,1297000,1553000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2214924-2d4cd96e1d613177d9475291ff0ee4b9&start=1297&end=1553","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2214924-2d4cd96e1d613177d9475291ff0ee4b9/thumbnail_1297000.jpg","/articles/6697877/Georgia/State-Homeland-Security-officials-urge-better-information-sharing-expand-behavioral-threat-teams-after-school-attacks","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6697877-259a9980c35bd724ccfa46f0f36e68a0/orig.mp4?Expires=1776454034&Signature=NhNmkwGIqW~PzELC1Hy09ANs5HyCnF5Gdp5teKv4k8VJyDK96ZkPQeldC-mJddpKPPU6qbctvPb3IZ7CQ9B2Ikg6-oQjB4AImSV~3n~QOebhTX5bZEi5Q8iBsSAH7oSPPfTsTzgzIoV7qc9AXkjCpLywod3dctFB2DpKqPI8Yc-jKb~8O9CcPhIlNtYLLd3kTUvjiE224DIdN1h0cGTsP6LuMgKY8RVgezSsuAWSyK7ypjofK6UU5EXA9X77e9syA6SaEJM7RmMTkCCCmjIQP0XJL8HRtVBBpkqUB6XpLo2NvRB8OgONk~mTIArM23-Z6OBVHXKdzRfy3BKRV~207A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Leaders from the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA) and the Department of Education told a joint meeting of the Senate and House Education committees that school safety requires improved statewide information sharing and wider adoption of behavioral threat assessment teams to prevent violent incidents.

GEMA deputy director Linda Kriblay said the agency is pushing two priorities: improving information sharing among schools and law enforcement, and expanding behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM) programs. \"We are not collecting the dots, so we can't expect our superintendents and sheriffs to connect the dots,\" Kriblay said, arguing that after‑action reviews of past attacks show signs typically appear before violence occurs.

The remarks came as GEMA officials reported a sharp increase in validated school safety threats: 214 in the first quarter of the 2024–25 academic year, compared with 20 in the same period the previous year. Kriblay emphasized that reporting to GEMA is voluntary and that actual numbers are likely higher.

Why it matters: Committee members heard GEMA describe current capacities and gaps and were asked to weigh how the Legislature can support technical and legal frameworks that allow threat reporting while protecting student privacy. Kriblay said compliance with FERPA and HIPAA is achievable in information‑sharing agreements and will require legal work to implement statewide.

Key facts and programs
- GEMA said it has 10 post‑certified law enforcement officers assigned almost exclusively to school safety work, and a school safety intelligence unit that analyzes threats and issues warnings to schools and law enforcement.
- GEMA described BTAM as a cross‑disciplinary, local team that evaluates and mitigates potential threats; the agency has trained nearly 1,300 school officials and law‑enforcement officers in BTAM concepts and has a one‑hour overview and a six‑hour implementation course.
- Kriblay said BTAM training has been delivered in about 40 counties; eight school systems have adopted GEMA’s BTAM model in full.
- GEMA cited partnerships with the Secret Service, FBI and Department of Homeland Security in developing its BTAM guidance and training.

Department of Education role
Justin Hill, deputy superintendent for the Office of the Whole Child at the Georgia Department of Education, described DOE’s work to build local capacity alongside GEMA. He noted a Ready Georgia Seal of Preparedness voluntary recognition program that had nearly 500 school applications this year and said DOE and GEMA are co‑presenting training for school officials, including BTAM material, to increase local uptake.

Committee questions and concerns
Committee members asked whether authorities had enough evidence to say earlier interventions could have prevented specific past attacks. Kriblay said GEMA first learned the name of the Apalachee shooter only after the attack and characterized that as a symptom of broken information flows: \"If people don't make that right decision... Barrow County was in the dark as well.\" She cautioned she was not speaking for any after‑action review.

On technology, members asked about detection systems such as thermal cameras and metal detectors. Kriblay said the devices can qualify for existing school security grants but stressed prevention and mental‑health supports are critical because \"most of these school threats are from people who have access to the building.\"

What was not decided
No new statute or funding appropriation was proposed or voted on during the meeting. Committee members and agency staff discussed policy options, and several representatives said they would bring additional questions back to staff and stakeholders.

Ending
GEMA and DOE officials told lawmakers that expanding BTAM teams, improving cross‑agency information flows, and scaling training are priorities for the coming year. Kriblay closed by urging partnership across state and local agencies to reduce the risk of repeat tragedies.","Officials from the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA) and the Department of Education told a joint Senate–House committee that school threats are rising, and they urged statewide information‑sharing systems and wider adoption of behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM) teams.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6697862,"House Education Committee adopts rules by voice vote and adjourns joint session",31,7551000,7582000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2214924-2d4cd96e1d613177d9475291ff0ee4b9&start=7551&end=7582","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2214924-2d4cd96e1d613177d9475291ff0ee4b9/thumbnail_7551000.jpg","/articles/6697862/Georgia/House-Education-Committee-adopts-rules-by-voice-vote-and-adjourns-joint-session","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6697862-6a1d2b0c576970328eede3623503c040/orig.mp4?Expires=1776454034&Signature=B10ftjHcSWYs7ULn6qMr2dcShMD-x0SwuG7Vyf4n4m3~B6M0Wl1gbBKJR7aacmOo1CQvVrZw0InwYPX2A8PjeGUh2kJcUKMRoMjjjnUFUiZpku~1VU5tv54CatsLPEOlbt7Z41EoeQZaDb6SBvSkNARt876Pg-Fy9siCGoN9wKunYJuuMHaeS0OZYum-~048JYXj1-kp2hVVl9zlN3dA3JUJyDXs1IG0h5nm34L4L7jS6qknvULvSF2Q3maP1h8z49fKpGSnHLh6VxehthT~a2t~NPDOohH9xxTdsZii~b4SNGJrO8-CLUqEPR726lTqQbLiBa9XaFRgiuX7d1s1aw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The joint Senate and House Education Committee concluded its meeting by adopting the House committee rules.

Representative Townsend moved to approve the rules; a second was noted and the chair called for a voice vote. The chair stated the rules carry and the meeting was adjourned, with senators dismissed and House members remaining for additional House business.

Why it matters: The adoption of committee rules is a routine procedural action that governs committee operations for the session and was approved by voice vote without recorded roll call during the meeting at the Capitol.

Meeting action
- Motion: Approve committee rules.
- Mover: Representative Townsend.
- Second: not specified on the public record.
- Vote: voice vote; chair announced the rules \"carry.\"

Ending
After the vote the chair thanked members and noted follow‑up items; the meeting was adjourned and a dinner for members was announced.","At the end of the joint meeting, House committee members moved, seconded and adopted committee rules by voice vote; the joint session was adjourned and Senate members were dismissed.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

State officials say Georgia has 'moment of lift' on literacy; coaching, screeners and dyslexia work underway

State behavioral health chief says school‑based mental‑health programs reach thousands but face workforce limits

State Homeland Security officials urge better information sharing, expand behavioral threat teams after school attacks

House Education Committee adopts rules by voice vote and adjourns joint session