United States
U.S. FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel wants to overhaul the E-Rate program to guarantee online access for schools and students as the demand for web use rises, according to Education Week. Commissioner Rosenworcel called for the creation of an “E-rate 2.0.” Rosenworcel cited the mounting pressure on school districts by online common-core assessments and an overall increase in web learning as two reasons the district’s online capacity is being strained. Rosenworcel further cited that 80 percent of the schools and libraries in the US feel their broadband connections do not meet current demands. The original E-rate was established in 1996 and is meant to ensure that all schools and libraries, even those in disadvantaged communities, have connections to the Internet. Proposed changes would include: redirecting money from another program into E-rate, setting clear capacity goals including by the year 2015-16 every school would have access to 100 megabits per 1,000 students and by the end of the decadeone gigabit per 1,000 students. Rosenworcel says this will encourage more public-private sector partnerships, and create a more simple application process for E-rate.
Alaska
Relevant Elements: 5
The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development announced April 19 that it is joining a state-led consortium to develop tests aligned with a nationwide initiative to standardize student assessment, according to Juneau Empire. The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium seeks to align math and language arts curricula with the Common Core State Standards. “The Smarter Balanced assessment will allow us to compare our students more closely with those around the country and confirm the rigor of Alaska’s standards compared to the Common Core,” said DEED Commissioner Mike Hanley. The press release states that SBAC will produce assessments for grades three through eight and grade 11 that will prepare students for the tests by the 2014-2015 school year. SBAC will also be responsible for determining the scores on the assessments that will indicate levels of achievement such as advanced, proficient, below proficient and far below proficient. The department said, “students should not need remedial courses in English and math in postsecondary institutions” because SBAC collaborates with universities and colleges to have benchmark scores for the grade 11 assessment which determines college readiness. The year-end assessments will be taken on a computer and be adaptive to the student. “The assessments will be adaptive, meaning they are individualized to each student by basing questions on the student’s response to previous questions,” the DEED release asserts. “This method produces a more accurate understanding of each student’s achievement.”
Relevant Elements: 1, 2
The Alaska Board of Education and Early Development met on April 18 and approved the University of Alaska Southeast’s new endorsement program in e-learning and distance delivery for certificated teachers, according to the Juneau Empire. The program will develop “advanced competencies in designing, delivering, and managing effective online instruction.” The Board also established a time of public comment on proposed regulations that would implement in grades 1-3 short early literacy screenings that would help identify students with delays in early literacy skills. The board repealed a requirement for school districts to give students a norm-referenced test in grades five and seven.
California
Bill: AB 484
Status: 04/24/2013 – From committee chair, with author’s amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on ED. Read second time and amended.
Relevant Elements: 5, 8, 10
California AB 484, sponsored by Asm. Susan Bonilla, D-Concord, was amended in the Assembly Education Committee on April 17 and re-referred to the same committee on April 18. It would:
- Require unencumbered funds appropriated in a specified item of the Budget Act of 2012 for purposes of the state’s pupil testing program to be available during the 2013-14 fiscal year for the development of assessments addressing the common core state standards and next generation science standards to satisfy the assessment requirements of federal statute, thereby making an appropriation.
- Require, when possible, the administration of assessments via technology.
- Maintain, in the 2014-2015 school year, the same STAR apportionment and require that it be used, in part, for the common core implementation and technology.
- Require the Department of Education to administer a survey of local educational agencies to determine how school districts are progressing toward implementation of a technology-enabled assessment system.
Iowa
Bill: HF 604
Status: 04/24/2013 – Message from House. S.J. 897.
Relevant Elements: 4
Iowa HF 604, the $964 million appropriations bill that funds the College Student Aid Commission, Department of Education, Board of Regents and the Department for the Blind, passed the Senate 26-22 on April 18 with amendments and is now in conference committee. It would:
- Appropriate $8.5 million, the House version would provide $5 million, for reform implementation in HF 215. It would also provide $825,000 for implementation of the competency-based education grant program established in HF 215.
Minnesota
Bill: HF 630, SF 453
Status: 04/25/2013 – Third reading Passed vote: 35-28
Relevant Elements: 3, 6, 8
Minnesota HF 630 passed the House 83-50 on April 23 and passed the Senate Rules and Administration Committee on April 24. The bill is the omnibus K-12 Education Policy and Finance Bill. A companion, SF 453, was substituted for HF 630 on April 24. HF 630 would:
- Require the state to annually administer to students in grades 3-7 a computer adaptive reading and math assessment that is aligned with the state’s academic standards. Meanwhile, Minnesota Public Radio, reports that trouble with the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment tests that are delivered online are worrying educators because of technology glitches. Ninety-five percent of the state’s students in grades 3-8 take their math MCAs online. About 30 percent of the students take their reading assessment tests the same way.
- Change the requirements of the online and digital learning advisory council to include consideration of the technology to personalize learning and methods to prepare educators to use digital tools.
North Carolina
Bill: HB 960
Status: 04/18/2013 – House Ref To Com On Education
Relevant Elements: 2, 5, 6, 10
North Carolina HB 960, sponsored by House Education Committee Vice-Chair Jeffrey Elmore, R-North Wilkesboro, passed the first reading and was referred to the vice chair’s committee on April 18. It would:
- Make the K-12 educational system more flexible, adaptable and accountable in order to foster innovation, creativity and workforce development for a changing economy.
- Include in the resources capital improvement plan/budget a comprehensive policy for inventory control for school technology.
- Allow, beginning in July 1, 2013- June 30, 2016, a county, per the request of a local school administrative unit, to use monies from the General Fund to be used to pay for digital learning needs such as connectivity, digital textbooks and instructional resources.
- Require that if a county were to use the funds for digital learning then a portion of the funds would also have to be used for professional development for teachers.
Oregon
Bill: HB 2426
Status: 04/25/2013 – (S) Public Hearing and Possible Work Session scheduled.
Relevant Elements: 6, 10
Oregon HB 2426 passed the House 50-9 on April 16 and is now in the Senate Education and Workforce Development Committee. It would require district school boards to adopt policies for the use of personal electronic devices in schools. It would also require school personnel to receive annual professional development related to online resources that enable students with print disabilities to receive instructional materials free of charge.
South Carolina
Bill: SB 362
Status: 04/12/2013 – Scrivener’s error corrected
Relevant Elements: 5
South Carolina SB 362, sponsored by Senate Banking and Insurance Committee Chairman Robert Hayes, R-Rock Hill, passed the Senate Education Committee with amendments on April 11. It would allow districts to request the state Board of Education to review digital instructional material to be included on the state adopted textbook list if the district has reviewed it and also received approval by the local board of trustees for use in its district. The bill would require the request be made with the following supporting information: detail the substance and level of performance outline in the grade specific educational standards, contain current content information and show cost effectiveness.
Washington
Bill: HB 1642
Status: 04/25/2013 – Delivered to Governor
Relevant Elements: 4
Washington HB 1642 was delivered to Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee on April 25 who will have until May 1 to act on the measure. It would require each school district board of directors to adopt an academic acceleration policy for high school students. It would require the acceleration policy to automatically enroll any student meeting the state standard on the high school statewide assessment in the next most rigorous level of advanced courses offered by the high school. Previous versions of the bill also provided acceleration for a district-approved minimum score in any section of the PSAT, but that provision was not included in the final version. The bill would also establish the academic acceleration incentive program that would grant awards to support teacher training, curriculum, technology, exam fees, and other costs associated with offering dual credit courses to high school students. Half of the awards would go to schools in the bottom 25 percent of enrollment in dual credit classes for the purpose of encouraging higher enrollment. The other half would go to schools that finish in the top 10 percent of enrollment in dual credit program.
The bill would also add career and technical classes to the list of classes, which may count as dual credit classes for the purposes of the incentive award program. Dual enrollment would also include students who achieve a three or higher on AP exams, achieve a four or higher on an IB exam, students who complete a Cambridge advanced international certificate, and who successfully complete a course through the college in the high school program and who are awarded credit. Online classes would not generate incentive awards. The bill would also require the rates at which high school students earn college credit through dual credit courses to be posted on the state report card website.
Bill Updates:
- Colorado SB 139 was signed by Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper on April 19.
- Florida SB 1630 passed the Senate Appropriations Committee 15-0 on April 23 as a substitute, the text of which is not yet available online.
- Florida SB 1390 passed the Senate Appropriations Committee on April 23 unanimously.
- Florida SB 1076 was signed by Republican Gov. Rick Scott on April 22.
- Oklahoma HB 1660 passed the Senate unanimously on April 22 43-0 and the House will now consider Senate amendments.
- Oklahoma SB 169 was approved by Republican Gov. Mary Fallin on April 22.
- Oklahoma SB 559 passed the House 92-0 on April 17 and the Senate rejected House amendments on April 23 and the bill may go to conference committee.
- Tennessee SB 157, Republican Gov. Bill Haslam’s proposal to impose enrollment limits on state virtual schools, passed the House 66-29 on April 16 and was ordered enrolled on April 22.
- Washington SB 5496 was delivered to Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee on April 23 and he will have until April 29 to act on the measure.