Wyoming Acts of the 63rd Legislature, General Session (2015)
SF 8, Chapter 179
AN ACT relating to education accountability; conforming law as specified to Powers v. State, 2014 WY 15, 318 P.3d 300 and Powers v. State, No. 180-673 (1st Jud. Dist. Ct. Apr. 18, 2014); modifying administration of the statewide job skills assessment test and the college entrance exam; delaying implementation and modifying development of phase II for teacher and school leader accountability; providing for phase I school accountability implementation and refinement; prescribing oversight and use of district assessment systems in state accountability; modifying the process for incorporation of revised state standards into assessments; modifying state criteria for high school graduation; providing for continuation of select accountability and advisory committees; establishing a technical advisory group to study alternative school accountability; establishing a taskforce to study statewide assessment; eliminating item type restrictions on the statewide student assessment for grades nine (9) and ten (10) for one (1) year; requiring reporting requirements; providing appropriations; and providing for an effective date.
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
21-2-202. Duties of the state superintendent.
(a) In addition to any other duties assigned by law, the state superintendent shall:
(xxx) Effective school year 2012-2013 and each school year thereafter, in consultation and coordination with local school districts, by rule and regulation establish a program of administering a standardized, curriculum based, achievement college entrance examination, computer-adaptive college placement assessment and a job skills assessment test selected by the state superintendent to all students in the eleventh and twelfth grades throughout the state in accordance with this paragraph. The examinations and tests selected by the state superintendent shall be administered throughout the United States and shall be relied upon by institutions of higher education. The college entrance examination shall at a minimum test in the areas of English, reading, writing, mathematics and science for all students in grade eleven (11). The jobs skills assessment test shall be optional for all students in grade eleven (11) or twelve (12) and shall at a minimum test in the areas of applied math, reading for information and locating information. The state superintendent shall pay all costs associated with administering the college entrance examination, the computer-adaptive college placement assessment and the jobs skills assessment test and shall schedule a day during which examinations shall be provided. The date for statewide administration of the college entrance examination in grade eleven (11) shall be selected so that following receipt of scores, students may timely register for senior year classes which may be necessary to allow the student to qualify for a state provided scholarship established by the state superintendent in a manner that best meets the needs of students and school districts. The computer adaptive college placement assessment shall be optional and all students in grade twelve (12) shall be provided at least one (1) opportunity to take the assessment during the school year. The state superintendent may enter into agreements with an administrator of the college entrance examination and the computer-adaptive college placement assessment and an administrator of the jobs skills assessment test and adopt rules as necessary to ensure compliance with any requirements of an administrator, such as a secure environment. Waivers may be granted for the examinations and tests required by this paragraph for students with disabilities in accordance with the provisions of the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Alternate assessments and accommodations shall be offered by the state superintendent in accordance with rule and regulation;
(xxxvi) Commencing school year 2015-2016, in conjunction with the school district accreditation process required under W.S. 21-2-304(a)(ii) and as a component of the statewide education accountability system created under W.S. 21-2-204, conduct a review of each school district's assessment system once every five (5) years to ensure alignment with the uniform state education standards promulgated by the state board, and to ensure district adherence to the uniform graduation standards prescribed by the state board under W.S. 21-2-304(a)(iii). Reviews undertaken pursuant to this paragraph, together with findings, shall be reported to the state board and any deficiencies determined by the review shall be addressed through the statewide system of support established under W.S. 21-2-204(f).
21-2-204. Wyoming Accountability in Education Act; statewide education accountability system created.
(f) A progressive multi-tiered system of support, intervention and consequences to assist schools shall be established by the state board, and shall conform to the January 2012 education accountability report as defined by subsection (k) of this section. The system shall clearly identify and prescribe the actions for each level of support, intervention and consequence. Commencing with school year 2014-2015, and each school year thereafter, the state superintendent shall take action based upon system results according to the following:
(iv) Schools designated as meeting expectations shall file an improvement plan with the school district superintendent and the department. The plan shall be based upon an evaluation of the strengths and deficiencies of specific indicator scores that identifies appropriate improvement goals with an explanation of the measures and methods chosen for improvement, the processes to be implemented to deliver the improvement measures, identification of relevant timelines and benchmarks and an articulation of the process for measuring success of the methods chosen to increase performance. The state superintendent shall appoint a representative from the department in accordance with paragraph (vii) of this subsection to monitor the school's progress towards meeting the specified goals and implementation of the processes, measures and methods as contained in the school's plan. The representative shall assist the district, if requested, in identifying and securing the necessary resources to support the goals as stated by the school and the district;
(v) Schools designated as partially meeting expectations shall file an improvement plan in accordance with paragraph (iv) of this subsection that identifies and addresses all content and indicator areas where performance is below target levels. The state superintendent shall appoint a representative from the department in accordance with paragraph (vii) of this subsection to monitor the school's progress towards meeting the specified goals and implementation of the processes, measures and methods as contained in the school's plan. The representative shall assist the district in identifying and securing the necessary resources to support the goals as stated by the school and the district. Failure to meet improvement goals as specified in the plan for two (2) consecutive years may require that the school be subject to paragraph (vi) of this subsection;
(vi) Schools designated as not meeting expectations shall file an improvement plan in accordance with paragraph (iv) of this subsection that identifies and addresses all content and indicator areas where performance is below target levels. In addition, the evaluation of a district's student assessment system as provided by paragraph (vii) of this subsection may be undertaken in that school year immediately following any school year in which a school within the district has been designated as not meeting expectations. The state superintendent shall appoint a representative from the department in accordance with paragraph (vii) of this subsection to assist in drafting the improvement plan, including the selection of programs and interventions to improve student performance. The representative shall perform duties as required by paragraph (v) of this subsection. The plan shall be recommended by the school district superintendent and approved by the local board of trustees prior to submission to the department. The plan shall describe the personnel and financial resources within the education resource block grant model as defined by W.S. 21-13-101(a)(xiv) necessary for implementation of the measures and methods chosen for improvement and shall specify how resources shall be reallocated, if necessary, to improve student performance;.Failure to meet improvement goals as specified in the plan for two (2) consecutive years may be grounds for dismissal of the school principal;
(vii) A representative shall be appointed by the state superintendent, in consultation with the local board of trustees, for all schools designated under paragraphs (iv) through (vi) of this subsection to serve as a liaison between the school district leadership and the department. The representative shall be an employee of the department, an employee of a Wyoming school district or any combination, and may require more than one (1) individual for schools requiring substantial intervention and support. Additionally, one (1) representative may be assigned to more than one (1) school. Among other duties as may be requested by the district or department, the representative shall review and approve provide suggestions on the...
