CHEYENNE – The Wyoming Department of Education will conduct community input meetings on Wyoming’s Social Studies Content and Performance Standards as they pertain to Wyoming’s new “American Indian education program” legislation. These meetings will inform the public of the standards review process and gather public input to be shared with the Social Studies Standards Review Committee for their consideration prior to their work.
A presentation will discuss House Enrolled Act 119 and the process to ensure the cultural heritage, history, and contemporary contributions of American Indians are addressed in the review of the Social Studies Standards.
Participants will be asked to respond to two questions:
Why is it important for everyone to learn about American Indians?
What do you want the review committee to know about the cultural heritage, history, and contemporary contributions of American Indians as they review the Social Studies Standards?
The meetings will take place from 6-8 p.m.
June 12, Frank B. Wise Building, Main Conference Room, 3 Ethete Road, Fort Washakie
June 13, Central Wyoming College, Intertribal Education Center Room 116, 2660 Peck Avenue, Riverton
June 15, Park #6 Administration Office Board Room 2nd Floor, 919 Cody Avenue, Cody
June 22, Sheridan # 2 Administration Office Board Room, 201 North Connor Street, Sheridan
June 29, Laramie #1 Administration Office Board Room, 2810 House Avenue, Cheyenne
Those unable to attend can respond online through September 8, 2017.
– END –
Media Contact:
Kari Eakins, Communications Director kari.eakins@wyo.gov
307-777-2053
Early this week, I lost a teacher and lifelong friend–JuLan Decker–she was 82. Undoubtedly, family, friends, and students will celebrate her life and contributions in the coming days. Mrs. Decker’s greatest attribute was her kindness–we entered class as her students and left as her friends. There are so many amazing teachers who deserve recognition in their chosen field, in their communities, and in our state. Here are a few ways we are making inroads:
1. TOYs
Despite the downturn in state revenue and mandatory cuts at the Wyoming Department of Education, we are growing the Wyoming Teacher of the Year (WTOY) program–though not financially. Historically, the WTOY received a stipend and traveled to Washington, DC for recognition and celebration–that was about it. Over the past two years, I’ve worked to place WTOYs into state leadership and policy positions. They’ve also been great sports whenever I thrust them into the spotlight as ambassadors for their profession.
–Amy Pierson-2016–
Amy is participating in Leadership Wyoming, class of 2018, and is on the governing committee for the University of Wyoming Trustees Education Initiative. She has spoken at multiple events sponsored by WDE and others. Amy represented Wyoming teachers during halftime of the 2017 College Football National Championship game in Florida.
–Ryan Fuhrman-2017–
Ryan was appointed to the Wyoming State Board of Education. He met with Secretary DeVos and advocated for Title IV-B and STEM in Wyoming schools. He will participate in and be recognized at Cheyenne Frontier Days. More events are TBD for Ryan.
There are countless opportunities for district and state TOYs to be recognized and I intend to see the WTOY program continue to grow. At the national level, the TOY program is also on the move. The Council for Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) sponsors the TOY program and is using the program as a springboard to spotlight the education workforce. Through a major initiative, all states are called upon to to encourage teaching innovation, learn from other professional and leadership sectors, and apply new principles to transform the teaching and educational leadership professions. Wyoming will participate fully in this initiative.
2. TEI
The University of Wyoming is steeped in the work of the Trustees Education Initiative (TEI) for which I serve as a member of the coordinating council. This initiative will use evidence and best practice to move the UW College of Education from above average to preeminent. Here is more information about the progress of the TEI: http://www.uwyo.edu/trust_edu_init/
3. Pipeline
Wyoming’s equity in education plan reveals a shortage of special education teachers, especially in rural areas. Because of competitive salaries and an adequate pipeline of teachers, Wyoming has been mostly immune to the extreme teacher shortages other states face. Of course, with impending cuts to Wyoming education, this could change. It’s vital that we continue to uphold the teaching profession as a funding priority and encourage our brightest to pursue it as a career. For example, we are exploring ways to recruit more Native American Wyomingites into the teaching profession. Also, we need to consider leadership opportunities within schools, retention incentives for the best teachers, and more strategies to develop beginning teachers into master teachers. Here is a link to the 2015 Equity Plan: https://edu.wyoming.gov/downloads/communications/equitable-access-plan.pdf
Gillette Mayor Carter-King celebrates years of work leading to the Madison Water Pipeline. It was exciting to be part of the ceremony in my hometown.
CHEYENNE – The Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) is seeking public comment on the Chapter 43 Rules, School Nutrition Pilot Project, which can be viewed online along with the Statement of Reasons. These rules establish the minimum requirements that districts must meet to be eligible for financial assistance in acquiring Wyoming-grown meat for school lunches. Eligible districts can apply to the WDE Child Nutrition Program in order to receive financial assistance to offset processing costs for donated Wyoming poultry, lamb, pork, beef, or bison.
Public comment on the proposed rules is open from June 2 to July 17, 2017. Comments will be posted on the Secretary of State website, and may be submitted online or by mail to:
Wyoming Department of Education Attn: Susan Benning 2300 Capitol Avenue Hathaway Building 2nd Floor Cheyenne, WY 82002-2060
– END –
Media Contact:
Kari Eakins, Communications Director kari.eakins@wyo.gov
307-777-2053
School visits are a highlight of being the State Superintendent. This week we made a special visit to a 6th grade classroom and celebrated the winner of the contest to name the new statewide assessment. The assessment is newly minted as the Wyoming Test of Proficiency and Progress, or WY-TOPP:
Of course students liked hearing that the test will be shorter, in color, and online. In the coming weeks, as the contract with American Institute for Research (AIR) is finalized, we will release details about WY-TOPP. Dates we know now:
Load Test: Sept. 5, 2017
Fall Standards Based Interim (SBI-optional): Oct. 23, 2017 – Nov. 17, 2017
Modular Interims (SBM-optional): Available All Year
Standards Based Summative (SBS): April 16, 2018 – May 11, 2018
Aiden and his class enjoyed a WY-TOPP celebration
Education and Economic Diversity in Wyoming
Several weeks ago, I shared a letter regarding my concerns about not having education well-represented on the executive committee of a new statewide initiative called Economically Needed Diversity Options for Wyoming, or ENDOW. I’m resharing the letter and the response from Governor Mead:
This week the steering committee for the Wyoming Business Alliance met in Casper–I serve as an honorary member on this committee. Education was the main focus of the meeting: funding, Wyoming Excels, and student outcomes. We all recognize that strong relationships between business/industry and education are essential. Education is a major player in economic development and diversity. Our great education system enhances our communities and makes moving or staying in Wyoming even more appealing. Since ENDOW is a broad based, multi-year effort, please consider how you and other education leaders can be part of the effort moving forward.
CHEYENNE – The Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) announced today that Aiden Weinzierl, a sixth-grade student at Anderson Elementary School in Cheyenne, has won the contest to name the new statewide assessment with his submission, WY-TOPP, for Wyoming Test of Proficiency and Progress.
WY-TOPP will replace the Proficiency Assessment for Wyoming Students (PAWS) in grades 3-8 and ACT Aspire in grades 9-10. The ACT will continue to be administered to students in grade 11.
“With 99 submissions from across the state, we had several good options to choose from,” said State Superintendent Jillian Balow. “We went with WY-TOPP because it reflects the quality of the assessment as well as where Wyoming is with respect to its student and teachers.”
WY-TOPP will assess proficiency in reading and math for students in grades 3-10 and science for students in grades 4, 8, and 10. It will be an online assessment with various item types such as multiple choice, technology enhanced, and constructed response. The results will be comparable to students’ scores from other states and will be used for accountability purposes.
The WDE is currently in contract negotiations with the American Institutes for Research (AIR). The Wyoming State Board of Education approved them as the vendor for the new statewide assessment in February. Further information including testing dates and technology specifications will be available once contracts are in place.
– END –
Media Contact:
Kari Eakins, Communications Director kari.eakins@wyo.gov
307-777-2053
CHEYENNE – The fourth annual Roadmap to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Conference will include a focus on the Arts. The conference will feature the theme “STE(a)Ming into the Future” at Gillette College August 2-4, 2017.
“Including the Arts is way for us to improve the Roadmap to STEM Conference,” said State Superintendent Jillian Balow. “Educators will receive hands on, practical training that they can immediately use in their classrooms to further induce creativity and innovation in science, technology, engineering and math.”
Three days of active learning and practical classroom resources for almost any P-16 learning environment await participants. The Ann Simpson Artmobile will be on display and can be viewed during the Share-A-Thon along with other products and services that align with STEM education.
Dr. Lodge McCammon will offer a keynote presentation on music and movement, showing how his kinesthetic strategies can be used to ignite the brain and enhance the STEM learning environment.
Session topics will include connecting culinary arts to math, emphasizing creativity in core curriculum, enhancing scientific understanding through drawing, artistic inquiry in the engineering design process, making drones, integrating elementary science activities across curriculum, coding in the classroom, and much more.
The conference will partner with local professionals on half-day STEM experiences to connect educators with real-world applications of STEM. A variety of off-site STEM adventures will be available, including a geological excursion to Devil’s Tower and an interactive exploration of solar energy.
In addition, Physics Girl Dianna Cowern will offer a keynote on engaging girls in science and STEM, and Wyoming’s 2017 Teacher of the Year Ryan Fuhrman will share take away strategies and resources that he uses in his 7th grade classroom to guide students to think more deeply using the new Wyoming science standards.
I have been writing weekly updates for about two years now. The endeavor began in response to your request for regular communication from me. From the beginning, I’ll confess, I intended to delegate the task. However, personally writing the update has become a reflection for me and I regularly hear from you about how the brief update and preview of memos is appreciated. Here are a few items I try to provide:
talking points when reports and data are released
upcoming activities or events
federal updates
major events that I attend with a short reflection or connection to the work we do
updates on initiatives like CTE, coding, standards work, the new assessment
upcoming professional development opportunities
I remain resolute in having an exclusive audience from Friday until Monday. Superintendents are the only group that receives the update and weekly memos before a public release on Monday. This gives you an opportunity to preview the memos before they are blasted to specific audiences on Monday morning.
I’m always open to hearing how the updates could be more helpful to you. Previously, I’ve stopped writing during the summer months. For this summer I intend to send frequent updates because we are moving forward with important work that will drive how you open your schools in the fall.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT and OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
Over the past two and a half years, we have worked hard to ensure that all WDE-sponsored professional development is high quality, relevant to your needs, low cost or free, and aligned to our statewide and multi-tiered systems of support. Please check our website and social media frequently. We will utilize social media to a greater degree and as a main source of information for stakeholders. Please share the links to join the WDE social media stream:
Evansville Elementary celebrated their recognition as one of two distinguished Title I schools in WyomingChief Policy Officer Lisa Wiegel with Fremont County Superintendents at the State Board Meeting
Several members of the WDE staff and I had the opportunity to spend time in Fremont County this week. The main purpose was to talk with the Shoshone Business Council about ESSA. We also held listening sessions, participated in a tri-district discussion about the implementation of the Indian Education for All bill, met with Fremont #1 leaders, and spoke about education with community groups.
ESSA requires deliberate and formal consultation with tribal governments and we were able to “mark that box.” More importantly, the discussion was part of an ongoing dialogue about Native American learners and schools. At the forefront of our conversations was school improvement.
ESSA gives states the latitude to tailor school and district improvement strategies more so than under NCLB. The SIG program no longer exists, and instead there is a 7% state set-aside under Title I for school improvement activities (which is an increase from the 4% required by NCLB and is intended to offset the elimination of SIG). ESSA is prescriptive about identifying schools for the most comprehensive and targeted interventions and support but specific evidence-based strategies are left up to states. As we move closer to implementing our ESSA state plan, we will work together to build out specific needs, evaluation, and incentives for school improvement.
Eastern Shoshone Business CouncilUW-Casper 2017 Commencement on May 11
CHEYENNE – The Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) has scheduled a series of public meetings for gathering input of the draft state plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). These meetings will inform the public of the draft ESSA State Plan and gather input to be shared with WDE staff for their consideration as they continue work on the plan.
Stakeholder engagement and public review of the plan are required under ESSA. The draft ESSA State Plan proposes long-term goals for schools, measures for how well schools are doing, and priorities for the use of federal funds to support schools, students, and educators.
The ESSA public meetings will take place at 6:30 p.m.
May 11, Northwest College, Fagerburg Building Rm 70, 233 W 7th Street, Powell
May 18, Riverton Middle School, Multipurpose Room, 840 Major Avenue, Riverton
June 7, Laramie Junior High School, Library, 1355 North 22nd Street, Laramie
The public meetings take place during the 45-day comment period on Wyoming’s draft ESSA State Plan, which goes through June 8, 2017. Comments can also be submitted online or by mail to:
Wyoming Department of Education
Attn: Kari Eakins
2300 Capitol Avenue
Hathaway Building, 2nd Floor
Cheyenne, WY 82002
ESSA reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the principal federal law affecting K-12 education, and replaces No Child Left Behind. Wyoming must submit its ESSA State Plan by September 18, 2017.
– END –
Media Contact:
Kari Eakins, Communications Director kari.eakins@wyo.gov
307-777-2053
The biggest news of the week is that a draft of the ESSA State Plan was released for review and public comment. We are beginning to receive feedback already. My hope is that every school district and advocacy group will set up a process and time to review, discuss, and provide input on the plan. We will continue to seek meaningful consultation and input through community meetings, listening sessions, external work groups coordinated by WDE, and stakeholder conferences. Still, this is not a substitute for reviews and comments sparked by your leadership at the district and school level. Wyoming’s draft ESSA plan can be found here.
Also of note is a vote by the State Board of Education one week ago to move forward with statewide accountability work (in fulfillment of HEA61) using the same foundation for post secondary readiness, goals, and support as articulated in the ESSA plan. This means we are moving toward a single, coherent accountability system versus two as was the case under No Child Left Behind.
St. Stephens students are inducted into the first ever NHS class
I traveled to Washington, DC, this week and met with Secretary DeVos. Generally, our discussion centered around Title funding and budget cuts, school choice, and ESSA. We started a positive and productive dialogue about education policy, vision, and initiatives. The small group of state superintendents took an opportunity to reiterate how diverse our states are and how important flexibility and state authority is under ESSA. I proudly represented Wyoming and rural education in the meeting and emphasized our strengths and challenges.
There are a number of memos this week that are worthy of your review before they are publicly released on Monday. One is a survey about accreditation. We are asking each district to submit one survey by May 22. The work should be led by you or your designee. Results will help us to determine the best path forward in light of mandatory budget cuts to the agency.
Finally, our summer conference and training schedule is mostly set. Be sure to look our website for annual and new professional development opportunities.
