Wyoming Education Association

Spring 2016

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Spring 2016 | WEAnews 18 Note: Senate File 32 and House Bill 19 as passed during the 2016 Legislative Session continue the operation of the Select Committee on Statewide Education Accountability. Priorities # 1 and # 2 have been eliminated from the topics of the Joint Education Committee and were transferred to the Select Committee, recognizing the law requires the final reports and any enabling legislation be considered by the Select Committee and the Joint Education Committee. Priority #: 3 - School Finance - The Committee will undertake study of the several items related to school finance, including review of revenue and expenditures necessary for the operation and construction of public schools and mechanisms available to generate cost savings targeted for public education. Study will include review of the model monitoring reports related to the ECA, required by W.S. 21-13-309(o) and (u) and 2016 SF0001, Section 2, Section 205, Footnote 2. The reimbursement of school districts for transportation costs as required by 2016 SF0001, Section 2, Section 205, Footnote 3 will also be studied. Priority #: 4 - Hathaway Scholarship Program - The Committee will review the scholarship program after 10 years of operation to identify any necessary improvements or modifications, including any recommendations for revision of the success curriculum. The committee will investigate actuary methodologies to assess the soundness of the trust fund and its long-term capacity to support scholarship levels. Priority #: 5 - Alignment of public education efforts - The Committee will undertake study of the alignment of the areas of knowledge and skills required under W.S. 21-9-101(b) and the correlation to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) activities, computer science courses, farm to school programs and financial literacy. Study will include review of possible revisions necessary to ensure high school graduates are college or career ready. The Committee will also review the governance structure of the State Board of Education and the necessity of a coordinator as required by 2016 SF0001, Section 2, Section 206, Footnote 4. Priority #: 6 - Distance Education - The Committee will study the recommendations of the 2015 Distance Education Task Force convened over the 2015 interim for the purposes of informing recalibration. Study will include programmatic and funding modifications as recommended by the Task Force. Priority #: 7 - Medically Necessary Placements - The Committee will review and study the education provisions necessary for children placed in group homes and residential treatment facilities for medical necessities. This is an extension of 2016 SF0094, which allows for the payment of educational expenses for students placed in residential psychiatric treatment facilities for medical necessities. Select Committee on Statewide Education Accountability Priority #: 1 - Statutory duties - This Select Committee was continued by 2016 Senate File 32 and House Bill 19. The law provides for funding of the Select Committee ($70,000 for the biennium.) Priority #: 2 - Every Student Succeeds Act (Previously Priority #1 proposed by the Joint Education Committee) - Review of the federal law and revisions necessary to conform state statutes to the Act. Priority #: 3 - Wyoming Accountability in Education Act (WAEA) (Previously Priority #2 proposed by the Joint Education Committee) - The Select Committee will continue efforts related to the WAEA, including continuation and review of an alternative school accountability model as required by 2016 Senate File 32, continuation of efforts related to the statewide student assessment system required by House Bill 19, review of Phase II (teacher/leader accountability) requirements and continuation of the efforts related to the creation of multi-tiered statewide system of support, interventions and consequences. The Wyoming Education Association will be monitoring numerous Interim Committee topics and sending out updates after those meeting are attended. Some other committees and topics of note are: The Joint Appropriations Committee will be looking at the community college funding model to review and determine whether the model requires revision pursuant to 2016 Budget Bill, Section 320. The JAC will also receive reports on the following topics and take action as necessary: state health insurance market, expansion of employees' and officials' group health insurance; workers' compensation fund; retirement system employee performance; K-12 ECA and ADM trends; K-12 transportation funding. Committee will make recommendations to the Governor and Legislature on the K-12 ECA as required. The Joint Revenue Committee will study revenue for school facilities and major maintenance and consider revenue options that may be available for providing revenue for funding school facilities and major maintenance. Under this topic the Committee will review wind taxation and other possible revenue sources indicated by the tax reform 2000 report or other sources. Joint Education Interim Committee Topics

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