Dear Superintendents,

One year ago, Ramsey Solutions partnered with UW to bring FINANCIAL LITERACY curriculum and materials to every high school in Wyoming. Wyoming did not disappoint — the results were impressive. Ramsey Solutions was founded by Dave Ramsey, a leader in financial management and literacy. Here are highlights from the school year:

• 89% of all Wyoming high schools used the curriculum
• 5,000-plus Wyoming high school students were impacted
• Financial literacy pre and post test scores went from 66% to 85%
• UW featured on The Dave Ramsey Show
• A blog article highlighting UW was #1 on Google

Thank you for using Ramsey to teach financial literacy in your schools! We are now exploring funding opportunities for the upcoming school year and beyond — the UW partnership only provided one-year funding for resources.

I am keenly interested in seeing Ramsey continue to provide resources at low or no cost to Wyoming schools and will keep you up to date. I’d love to hear your ideas and success stories with Ramsey.

CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION (CTE) continues to be a substantial discussion topic as the Wyoming Business Council, Post Secondary Attainment Council, the Wyoming Association of Career and Technical Educators (WACTE), and ENDOW meet to evaluate goals, strategies and actions. Business and industry are well-represented in the discussion about how the newly enacted Perkins V funding will be structured and implemented.

Schools of all sizes are taking the lead and thinking innovatively about how to deliver relevant, scaleable, and valued CTE pathways to more students. Your partnership with local business and industry is key. The WDE has recently provided technical assistance to several industry partners and schools interested in setting up apprenticeships.

This week the U.S. Department of Labor announced major milestones in the continuing effort to expand apprenticeships.  First, it published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to establish a process to advance the development of high-quality, industry-recognized apprenticeship programs, known as IRAPs.  Second, it awarded $183.8 million to support the development and expansion of apprenticeships for educational institutions partnering with businesses that provide a funding match component.

Successful apprenticeships rely on ongoing collaboration among K-12, higher education (community colleges), and business and industry.

WDE Career and Technical Education teammates Dr. Michelle Aldrich and Ilaine Brown dropped by the Laramie County Community College’s booth at the SkillsUSA Championships in Lexington, KY recently.

SUPPLEMENT NOT SUPPLANT

Last week, the U.S. Dept of Education (USED) released final non-regulatory guidance for “supplement not supplant.” This changed under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to provide greater flexibility to districts while still ensuring that federal funds are supplemental to state funds and cannot be used to replace them.

The guidance explains how ESSA modified the requirement to reduce administrative burden, simplify compliance, and promote effective spending. To comply with the new requirement, a district need only show that its methodology to allocate state and local resources to schools does not take into account a school’s Title I status. For many, the requirement can be met using the district’s current methodology for allocating state and local resources.

Federal programs staff at the WDE is always available to assist schools and districts ensure maximum spending flexibility and compliance with state and federal law.

Superintendent Jillian Balow and WDE teammate Thom Jones were joined by Kathy Escobedo, Early Intervention and Education Program, Unit Manager, BHD, at the Wyoming Department of Health and Alisha Rone, Executive Director at Child Development Center in Casper, as part of the task force working to implement Waterford UPSTART in Wyoming.

STUDENT SAFETY

The USED is currently accepting applications from entities, including schools and districts, for three grant competitions that support locally tailored approaches to school safety The grants align with recommendations from the Federal Commission on School Safety’s final report.

PROJECT PREVENT GRANT PROGRAM

This program helps Local Education Agencies (LEAs) enhance their ability to identify, assess and serve students exposed to pervasive violence. Funds from this $10 million grant competition can be used to provide mental health services for trauma or anxiety; support conflict resolution programs; and implement other school – based violence prevention strategies. The deadline to apply is July 15, 2019.

SCHOOL CLIMATE TRANSFORMATION GRANT PROGRAM

This $40 million grant competition provides funds to LEAs to develop, enhance, or expand systems of support for schools implementing strategies to improve learning conditions and promote positive school culture for all students. The deadline to apply is July 22, 2019.

MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE PROFESSIONAL DEMONSTRATION GRANT PROGRAM

This $15 million grant competition promotes partnerships between colleges or universities and high-need school districts in order to expand the pipeline of trained school-based mental health services providers. The deadline to apply is Aug. 5, 2019.

WDE teammates were among the participants at the Open Education Resource (OER) Workshop, where a group exercise was to create what one attendee called the “inspiration headset generator.”

Memos to be released on July 1:

• 2019-075 – Chapter 2 and Chapter 20 Rules Public Comment and Hearing: Transportation

Dear Superintendents,

One memo and a few photos:

It was a privilege to speak at the annual custodians conference. Pictured here with the incoming and outgoing assosication presidents.

Computer Science SCRIPT training is well-attended and well-received.

Wyoming received a grant to expand school breakfast and a team of leaders set goals this week in New Orleans.

Memos to be released on Monday, June 17

• 2019-074 – Chapter 29 Rules

Dear Superintendents,

This week the Quality Counts report on school finance was released and Wyoming is ranked #1. Looking just beyond the “A” grade that Wyoming received is an important story. Half of the score is based on quantity–how much money is spent on education. The other half of the score represents how fairly money is spread to schools and districts–quality of funding. Here are a few Wyoming-specific highlights:

• The national average grade was “C.” Wyoming was the only state to receive and “A.”
• Other states with high grades ranked high in spending (quantity) but low in equity (quality). Wyoming scored high in both.

Here is a link to the report and interactive state reviews.

Teachers in Rock Springs participate in the SCRIPT Computer Science training.

Memos to be released on Monday, June 10:

• 2019-073 – Webinar on English Learners and Title III Funding

Dear Superintendents,

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) recently released “The Condition of Education 2019,” a report on education in America today.  The report presents 48 indicators in four areas:

• pre-primary
• elementary, and secondary education; postsecondary education
• population characteristics and economic outcomes
• international comparisons.

It also spotlights several issues of policy interest: young adult educational and employment outcomes by family status and postsecondary outcomes for non-traditional undergraduate students (blog post).

For a snapshot of key information, check out the “At a Glance” and “Highlights” options.

Memos to be released on Monday, June 3:

• 2019-070 Wyoming Advisory Panel for Students with Disabilities
• 2019-071 AP Course Information and Trainings
• 2019-072 Chapter 45 Public Comment: Special Education

Dear Superintendents,

Hats off to all 2019 graduates at every level!

This week recipients of the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program were named. The program honors the nation’s top-performing students and was expanded in 1979 to recognize students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, literary and performing arts. In 2015, the program was again expanded to recognize students who demonstrate ability and accomplishment in career and technical education fields.

Congratulations to this year’s Wyoming Presidential Scholars:

1. Lillian Brazil, Jackson – Jackson Hole High School
2. Scott Nicholas Orton, Afton – Star Valley High School

Former State Superintendent Judy Catchpole received an honorary doctorate from the University of Wyoming.

Memos to be released on Tuesday, May 28:

• 2019-069  Wave Conference

Dear Superintendents,

This week saw the first of several CSforAll SCRIPT trainings for educators to help bring computer science and computational thinking to every Wyoming classroom by 2022.

Wyoming received more than $93,000 in grant funding from Microsoft’s TechSpark initiative to offer Strategic CSforALL Resource & Implementation Planning Tool (SCRIPT) training for school districts. CSforALL is an organization dedicated to making computer science part of every K-12 student’s education.

SCRIPT training provides districts with strategic planning tools to think through what is needed to provide equitable, high-quality computer science education available to all students in their districts. Through a series of self-assessment and goal-setting activities, districts will develop a computer science education vision and roadmap for implementation.

Training will occur in five locations and will be open to six districts in each location. Each training consists of several sessions over a year.

• Casper: May 14 & 15, 2019, Oct. 15, 2019 and May 20, 2020.
• Rock Springs: June 4 & 5, 2019, Nov. 14, 2019, and June 4, 2020.
• Cheyenne: June 11 & 12, 2019, Nov. 19, 2019, and June 11, 2020.
• Worland: Aug. 5 & 6, 2019, Jan. 7, 2020, and Aug. 6, 2020.
• Gillette: Sept. 24 & 25, 2019, Feb. 25, 2020, and Sept. 24, 2020.

Educators, industry partners and WDE teammates took time for a group photo at the CSforALL SCRIPT training in Casper this week. 

CSforALL SCRIPT training asked educators to work on how to engage their communities to help bring computer science to the classroom. The groups then shared out in a ‘gallery walk’ to promote and share ideas.

The leadership group from Prairie Wind Elementary in Cheyenne came to the WDE offices Friday to discuss education policy and leadership with Chief Policy Director Kari Eakins. The group also got a tour and talked with WDE teammates. 

Memos to be released:

• 2019-066: Native American Education Conference
• 2019-067: Hathaway Success Curriculum Changes and Guidance
• 2019-068: Change in Home Language Survey Requirements

Dear Superintendents,

On Monday, May 13, Governor Gordon will proclaim May as Military Appreciation Month – I look forward to attending the ceremony and celebration. Military Appreciation Month was introduced by Senator John McCain and passed by Congress in 1999.

We would love to help you celebrate past and present military servicemen and women in your schools using social media. Send photos and blurbs to thom.gabrukiewicz@wyo.gov. Here are a few observances during the month of May:

Military Spouse Appreciation Day
Date: Friday, May 10^th, 2019. The Friday before Mother’s Day is a day to honor military spouses.

Armed Forces Day
Date: Saturday, May 18^th, 2019. A day (and the week leading up to it) to thank our military members for their patriotic service in support of our country.

Memorial Day
Date: Monday, May 27^th, 2019. Commemorates the men and women who died while in military service.

Early in the week I had a visit from a retired Wyoming education leader, Bill Hardesty, who now works with Troops to Teachers. The program’s tagline is “Proud to Serve Again” and assists veterans who want to become classroom teachers.

When you hire a veteran, you bring unique skills, experiences, and dedication to your schools and students. Skills needed to be successful in the military transfer nicely to the classroom and community.

Here is a link to learn more about Troops to Teachers.

Bill Hardesty of Troops to Teachers visited the WDE to share the work of the organization during Military Appreciation Month.

Tech directors met in Casper this week. There were great conversations about district tech infrastructure, computer science standards, professional development, leadership, the legislature, and much more.

Memos to be released on Monday, May 13:

• 2019-063: Virtual Education Vendor Teacher Collection
• 2019-064: Change in English Language Proficiency Criteria
• 2019-065: Public Comment Computer Science Standards

Dear Superintendents,

Staff at the Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) are coordinating multiple opportunities for professional development this summer. We are excited about offering new and established events for Wyoming’s educators. Thank you for partnering with us to ensure all trainings are relevant, timely, and substantial. The best way to stay abreast is via the WDE website and social media:

WEBSITE: https://edu.wyoming.gov/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/WYOEducation/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/WYOEducation

Here’s a sneak peek at some of what we will offer  and/or coordinate this summer:

• SCRIPT Computer Science Training – various dates and locations
• Roadmap to STEAM – July 30-August 2 in Laramie
• Open Range OER Workshops – various dates and locations
• STAR Conference – June 18-20 in Cheyenne
• Week of Academic Vision and Excellence (WAVE) Conference, July 29-31 in Laramie
• Native American Education Conference – August 7-8 in Riverton
• State Superintendent’s Policy Summit (S5S) – October 1-2 in Laramie

We look forward to learning from one another and national experts!

WDE CTE Director Dr. Michelle Aldrich and CTE Consultant Jeannie Coulson hosted an online listening session for the Perkins V grant recently. The CTE team is gathering public input on how the grant will be utilized in Wyoming over the next five years.

While gathering public input on Health/P.E., Fine & Performing Arts, and Math Extended Standards in Casper Monday, WDE teammates got to hear the Casper Fiddle Club, whose members were practicing at the Natrona County School District #1 offices. Members talked about how music education provides opportunities for lifelong experiences, gives students hands-on learning, and can give positive social interactions.

Wyoming’s Teacher of the Year and Rozcoe the Bear visit Washington, DC and Wyoming’s delegation.

Memo to be released on Monday, May 6:

• 2019-062: Civics Education

Dear Superintendents,

Last week Wyoming’s State Board of Education (SBE) unanimously voted to move forward with  the process to adopt the K-12 content and performance standards for Computer Science. Below are links to the standards along with a letter from the standards development committee comprised of teachers, members from business and industry, parents, and others. The next phases of Boot Up Wyoming include rules promulgation and a shift in focus from standards development to standards implementation.

Wyoming has three years to fully implement the standards. Implementation, as with other content areas, includes efforts by educators to unpack standards, select curriculum, reset scopes and sequences for integration, and seek professional development. This work is familiar to educators and the Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) stands ready to facilitate opportunities and assist in the work. There are also other entities poised to support the implementation of Computer Science including UW and community colleges, Wyoming Professional Teaching Standards Board (PTSB), business and industry, tech companies and experts, the WDE, and schools that have already implemented Computer Science.

Via memos, professional development events, social and traditional media, grant/funding opportunities, and technical assistance the WDE will continue to broker opportunities for educators to onboard the new standards.

The SBE discusses computer science standards in Riverton

School Climate Document from USED:

The Federal Commission on School Safety released recommendations after a series of listening sessions. One recommendation addressed the topic of  school climate and student well-being. This week USED released The Parent and Educator Guide to School Climate Resources. The guide was produced jointly by the Department’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) and Office for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and it provides best practices and resources that parents and educators can utilize as they work to achieve a positive school climate, lower disciplinary issues, and enhance school safety.

There are no memos this week.

Dear Superintendents,

Next week my family welcomes my daughter home from a military deployment in the Middle East. For so many reasons I am a proud mom – but I’ll save the bragging for a different time. Through high school and since graduation, she has had countless opportunities to learn. Through CTE pathways in high school she earned FFA degrees and deepened her knowledge of agriculture. She also became a Certified Nurse’s Assistant (CNA) and earned college credits through dual enrollment. During her tenure as a soldier she has served her country, trained, traveled, and earned a semester’s worth of college credits. As a mom and educator, I love how college, career, and military readiness has evolved to mean more than three singular pathways after high school. Today, all three paths (or any combination therein) prepare the next generation of adults for success and fulfillment through coursework, training, experience, and discovery.

According to a Bureau of Labor Statistics study, a group of baby boomers (now nearing retirement or retired) changed jobs 11.7 times during their careers. Most economists agree that today’s millennials are on-track to change jobs more times during their careers. This means that lifelong learning is more important than ever and exposure to foundational and executive skills is key.

I’ll add three final thoughts:

1. Thank you Wyoming educators for instilling a love of learning and discovery in students while preparing them for the world of today and tomorrow.
2. We must never lose sight of the demands of this fast-paced world and must always ensure every student has relevant learning experience.
3. It always takes more than school to develop lifelong learners and self-sufficient adults. I am so encouraged to see strong partnerships between education, business/industry, and community partners.

Over the past couple of weeks, WDE’s Dr. Michelle Aldrich and her CTE team have traveled across the state to conduct listening sessions for Perkins V. Stakeholder participation for these events has been immense and we are so encouraged that Wyoming is interested in steering the career and technical education ship. Of note, Perkins V:

• Places greater emphasis on developing clear connections between CTE programs and labor market demands.
• Encourages states to to invest in early postsecondary opportunities.
• Expands stakeholder input requirements.
• Provides states and local recipients more flexibility in how they spend Perkins funds.
• Creates the framework for Perkins accountability at the state and local levels.

In Wyoming, we look forward to leveraging Perkins V as a way to ensure that all students have opportunities to discover and acquire valuable skills as they make choices about college, career, and military readiness.

Teams from Wyoming Destination Imagination competed recently. DI is a program that teaches students the creative process and 21st century skills.

Students compete using their skills to develop innovative solutions to complicated problems.

Memos to be released on Monday, April 22:

• 2019-057: Innovative Leaders Virtual Conference-Spotlight on Wyoming
• 2019-058: Kindergarten Readiness Data Collection
• 2019-059: Student Volunteer Opportunity: My Life, My Story
• 2019-060: 2019 Summer Learning Opportunities for Students
• 2019-061: 2019-20 Hathaway Success Curriculum Course Verification