As the Georgia General Assembly closed out the 2025 legislative session, a bill that would have banned the use of three-cueing educational materials passed…but with entirely different language from when it was proposed.
Senate Bill 93 achieved final passage by the Georgia General Assembly following an amendment made by the House. It will task the Professional Standards Commission with establishing rules requiring evidence-based reading instruction aligned with the science of reading.
The rules adopted by the Professional Standards Commission will also provide teachers with better strategies to assist English language learners and students with disabilities. They will also help teachers identify students with reading deficiencies early in their education and give them new approaches to differentiate instruction based on student needs.
But the bill began with an entirely different initiative: banishment of the use of three-cueing instructional materials and practices. The three-cueing method relies on meaning, structure and syntax, and visual cues to help students identify words. Senate Bill 93 had bipartisan support when it was filed, and would have established rules for curricula in state-approved educator preparation programs.
The bill’s sponsor, Senator RaShaun Kemp, said when it was filed that the method “encourages students to guess words rather than decode them” and “sets our kids up for failure and contradicts the principles of the science of reading.” The bill, as initially introduced, passed the Senate 50-3 in early March.
But the bill was changed by the Georgia House on March 31 – the 38th legislative day – and approved 168-0. It returned to the Senate where it was approved 55-0.
Sen. RaShaun Kemp said of the passage: “Current strategies used to teach literacy include methods that teach students to guess rather than read, preventing them from reaching their full potential. I’ve seen firsthand how crucial this legislation is. I know we can be better, and I’m proud to see our legislative body take much-needed steps to help make Georgia the number one state for literacy. I look forward to the Governor signing this bill into law and, most importantly, seeing its real impact in classrooms and communities across our state.”
The various versions of SB 93 can be found here.
Sen. RaShaun Kemp represents the 38th Senate District, which includes a portion of Fulton County. He may be reached by phone at (404) 656-0105 or by email at rashaun.kemp@senate.ga.gov.
