Tag Archives: Every Student Succeeds Act

Federal Guidance for Transgenders

Superintendent's Update

Good Morning Superintendents,

Federal Guidance for Transgenders
Last Friday, schools may have received a Dear Colleague letter from the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice containing “guidance” for ensuring the civil rights of transgender students at school. State agencies and state chiefs had no prior knowledge of the communication. Within hours, my office released this statement on the matter.

Today, I’ve included a special memo addressed to you and to principals. We will send it electronically to principals this afternoon. It further clarifies my position and the challenges that lie ahead for all of us. Attached to the memo is a letter signed by U.S. Senators, including Senators Enzi and Barrasso. Governor Mead also weighed in early this week with a statement.

Select Accountability Meeting
It was good to see many of you at last week’s Select Accountability legislative committee meeting. In reflection, I share a few of my takeaways:

  • Legislators were very interested in hearing from districts. They regularly reached out for input during the meeting. This will continue to be the trend.
  • Committee members heard clearly from me, school districts, and others on Phase II of the accountability work. They laid back a draft bill that would have started the work on a centralized leader evaluation system. They heard about how districts are holding leaders to high standards already and that adjustments are needed but not, necessarily, via legislation. It’s not off the table for good and the advisory committee will weigh in soon.
  • The select committee voted to support using the advisory committee as the base stakeholder design team for ESSA planning and implementation, regarding accountability.
  • Overall, the discussion was excellent and moved the ball forward on accountability and assessment topics.

Meeting with U.S. Department of the Interior and Bureau of Land Management
On Tuesday, I attended a coal rally and forum with representatives from the federal government entities responsible for imposing the moratorium on coal leases. Hundreds attended with both sides (pro and anti coal) well-organized. I felt a bit like a fish out of water in this crowd but found my stride when I had the opportunity to share how coal and the mineral industry enhance our communities and education system. I shared how since 2003, roughly $3 billion has been spent to build or renovate over 100 schools. I also compared Wyoming to other rural states with respect to equitable opportunities, especially with 100% SPED and transportation costs covered by the State. I am concerned that more educators and citizens are not involved in the discussion.

Coal supporters at the coal rally in Casper on Tuesday.
Coal supporters at the coal rally in Casper on Tuesday.
People gathered for a coal rally in Casper.
Senator Enzi and I (both from Gillette) had a chance to talk about how “Wyoming supports coal and coal supports Wyoming” at the pre-rally on Tuesday in Casper.
Superintendent Balow with the Wyoming Contractors Association (WCA) Training Center Executive Director Rod Thomas and the President of the Construction Careers Foundation Quint Davis.
With the Wyoming Contractors Association (WCA) Training Center Executive Director Rod Thomas and the President of the Construction Careers Foundation Quint Davis.

A student practices using an excavator simulator.

This student is using the excavator simulator at the WCA Regional Training Center in Casper.  Once he reaches benchmarks on the simulator and completes written coursework, he will be ready to operate the “real deal.”

Memos to be released Monday, May 23:

Jillian

Teachers are Real Heroes

Superintendent's Update

Dear Superintendents,

For starters, next week is Teacher Appreciation Week. A special thank you message is included in this week’s memos and I ask you to send it to all teachers in your district. We will also celebrate teachers all week via social media. Please share your teacher appreciation photos, articles, and messages with us by tagging us on Twitter (@WYOEducation) or sending via email to kari.eakins@wyo.gov for us to share.  We will use the hashtag #thankateacher and incorporate the theme, “Teachers Are Real Heroes.”

2016 Teacher Appreciation Banner

A Special Message from Chief Policy Officer, Brent Young

I appreciate the opportunity that Superintendent Balow has given me to share this message with all of you today.

I have been given the opportunity, pending board approval (all you Supts and HR directors get that), to be the principal of Alta Vista Elementary School in Cheyenne, Wyoming for the 2016-2017 school year.  I want to thank all of you for the opportunity I have been given to be a part of your leadership community over the past year and a half.  I remember my first opportunity to stand in front of you as Chief Policy Officer and talk about who your systems turn to for support.  The answer you shared with Brent Bacon and myself was, “Each other.”  It was only a short time after that conversation that I realized you all were inviting us to be a part of that “each other” group.  I believe they call that shared leadership!

It has been an honor for me to represent Wyoming education and I have benefited greatly from your collaboration.  Together we’ve driven some stakes in the ground on some new opportunities that will benefit the students in our schools.  I’ll look forward to seeing these opportunities grow and move from where they have started.  My perspective of your great work will be from a different view and I look forward to that in the years ahead.

Collectively, you are in a great place.  I can’t express enough thanks to Superintendent Balow for the opportunity to share in her vision and to be a part of a great WDE team.  I wish you all the greatest of success with each and every one of your students.  I’ve learned, first hand, what you all  give of yourselves for this to happen, and it will inspire me to do the same for the students at Alta Vista Elementary.

Other Updates

The final report from the Governor’s Marijuana Impact Assessment Council was released this week. As a member of the council, I enlisted a subcommittee of primarily K12 educators to compile the chapter about the impacts of legalized marijuana on education. Names of subcommittee members and the research begins on page 61 of the report hyperlinked above. Wyoming’s Joint Judiciary Committee will undertake the topic during this interim. I encourage you to keep a pulse on the discussion and reach out appropriately to committee members and other legislators about the topic. Incidentally, several reports about the legalization of marijuana in Colorado directly contradict one another.

Next week a subgroup of the Wyoming Career Readiness Council will attend a meeting to discuss next steps in the Career Readiness Initiative. At the meeting, we may tweak our goals and plan to align with Wyoming’s economic changes. We will also have an opportunity to work with a national coach and other states also participating in the initiative.

ESSA work is underway and intensifying each day as we receive additional guidance from the federal government and our education partners. In the coming days, we will ask you to participate in a virtually delivered stakeholder meeting to provide input on Wyoming’s implementation of ESSA, particularly priorities and strategy. Superintendents are a KEY stakeholder group and your input throughout the process is essential. ESSA is beginning to seep into every conversation we have about how education looks in the future. It is not designed to be incorporated into what we do but, rather, to become the new way we lead students to success. As always, please reach out with questions, requests, or comments.

2016 Arbor Day
Meyjl M from Lovell won the Arbor Day poster contest
Principal Hillman from Powell and others talk PLCs with the SBE
Principal Hillman from Powell and others talk PLCs with the SBE

Memos to be released Monday, May 2:

Jillian

Unpacking ESSA

Superintendent's Update,

Dear Superintendents,

Whether pronounced es-uh, ē-suh, E-S-S-A, or the Every Student Succeeds Act, the new federal law is beginning to creep into our daily education conversations. In what seems like a very short time from now, we will be implementing ESSA statewide; nationwide. In short, here’s why ESSA is different and more significant than any other implementation of federal law:

ESSA intentionally hampers the federal government’s role in education. With No Child Left Behind, states and school district checked boxes to assure they were meeting rigorous federal requirements related to student proficiency. Race to the Top and waivers (which Wyoming did not obtain) gave states money to do things a bit differently but states still played by federal government rules. ESSA literally prohibits the federal government from requiring or incentivizing important education components like standards, assessments, evaluation systems, and more.

Wyoming has work to do, as do all states. The good news is that we are already doing a lot of things right. NOT EVERYTHING WILL CHANGE under ESSA. The better news is that I will count on you as the key stakeholders in ESSA as we plan for full implementation. The best news is that we have an opportunity to deliberately and thoughtfully enhance our vision for improving school success and student outcomes.

As you know, Wyoming’s statewide vision for education is to create opportunities for students to keep Wyoming strong. We want to see all students prepared for the next steps in life: careers, college, or military service. ESSA strengthens this pathway for all of us.

Here are a few ways we will work to unpack ESSA for you:

  • Bi-weekly phone calls with updates and Q&A opportunities
  • Continued memos with information about important changes
  • Resources for you to use when updating staff and/or your community
  • ESSA updates at all WDE-sponsored professional development

This is an exciting time for all of us in education because we see the potential and long term impact on students. I encourage you to begin the conversation with school staff with a few starter questions:

  • What are the most important things we hope ESSA accomplishes?
  • What do we hope does not go away?
  • How should the WDE interact with districts and schools during the transition from NCLB to ESSA?

I would love to see the responses generated by your teams!

My leadership team and I participated in a series of excellent conversations around ESSA, assessment, and career readiness. We are excited to move forward but recognize this cannot be a race. We are committed to making the transition inclusive, collaborative, and impactful.

Charlotte Danielson and I visited over dinner about how teacher evaluation systems should be used to coach and support for improvement, first and foremost. We also talked about evaluations under ESSA.
Charlotte Danielson and I visited over dinner about how teacher evaluation systems should be used to coach and support for improvement, first and foremost. We also talked about evaluations under ESSA.

CCSSO PanelI participated on a panel in DC with the Aspen Institute on the topic of teacher and leader quality.  I was asked to specifically discuss Wyoming’s priorities for school leadership. In addition to speaking with school leaders in our state, here are two anchor documents I used in preparation:

ESSA, along with the Trustees Education Initiative, and the work already going on in our state presents an interesting opportunity for us to think about how we attract, prepare, develop, and retain great education leaders.  Here are a few of the key points I shared during the panel:

  • Leadership matters.  The importance of moving great teachers into leadership positions and developing great leaders is an effort that we’ve already begun through our State System of Support.  It’s time to make that as meaningful and sustainable as possible.
  • Evaluations for leaders should be differentiated and focused on growth and improvement, not simply a “gotcha” or “doing fine.”
  • Mentoring leaders is something we’ve identified in Wyoming as a lever.  Let’s work to make it stronger.
  • Engage school leaders in discussions and development of policy from the beginning.
  • Wyoming will focus energy on aligning school leadership and support in areas from leadership prep programs to licensing to professional development.
  • Wyoming should also examine the effectiveness and comparability of district evaluation systems versus a statewide evaluation system. There is merit in continuing with local systems if possible.
SLIB
State Loan and Investment Board (SLIB) hears a presentation from UW Professor Phil Treick and his class. The class manages the UW Portfolio Fund, a portion of Wyoming’s corpus.

As State Superintendent, I sit on the State Loan and Investment Board (SLIB).  Yesterday, the Board reviewed Wyoming Business Council projects and approved $10.8 million in grants and loans to communities across the state.  It is an honor to partner with communities on infrastructure and business projects.  The link to education is inextricable.  It’s likely a community near you received funds. All projects will enhance our state and, coupled with a quality education system, are a draw for families to relocate or stay in our state.  Here is a link to the press release about the new projects approved. 

Memos to be released April 11:

Jillian

STAR Conference

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The Summer Technical Assistance Retreat will include ESSA & EDGAR updates from Brustein & Manasevit PLLC,  Homeless Education Workshop, 21CCLC Coordinator Training, Federal Programs updates, Consolidated Grant Applications, Perkins Grant updates, GMS changes, the Equity Plan, Family engagement, Title I comparability, PTSB, risk-based monitoring, and more!

Room blocks are available now by mentioning the STAR Conference at:

  • Hilton Garden Inn (Conference Site) for $99 a night. Call 307-745-5500.
  • Hampton Inn for $95 a night with continental breakfast. Call 307-742-0125.
  • AmericInn Lodge & Suites for $91.90 a night with continental breakfast. Call 307-745-0777.
  • Holiday Inn for $85 a night. Call 307-721-9000 or book online by clicking here, entering the dates of your stay and using the group code “EDU”.

A Tough Week for Coal and Oil

Superintendent's Update, , ,

Dear Superintendents,

It’s with a heavy heart that we see communities in Campbell County hit hard by changes in the coal and oil industry. Here are links to comments from Senator Enzi and an article that includes comments from Governor Mead’s press conference yesterday.

There are few, if any, words of optimism in light of this devastating news–our hearts break for the families and communities affected. I reaffirm my commitment to Wyoming education and stand strong in the belief that these times must strengthen, not weaken, our commitment to students. Education is the key to economic diversity, innovation, and our future. Every district is having difficult conversations about cuts right now–don’t forget to celebrate and build on all of the good things that are happening in the schools and in our state.

UW Enzi STEM Bldg-Senator Enzi visits with WDE's Brent Bacon, Rob Bryant, and Brent Young
UW Enzi STEM Bldg-Senator Enzi visits with WDE’s Brent Bacon, Rob Bryant, and Brent Young

April is Financial Literacy month!  On Tuesday, the first ever AmeriTowne-WyoTowne was opened with 5th grader and mayor, Camden Jackson, cutting the ribbon. This is a hands-on opportunity for students to run a town for a day. Wyoming is the second state to build an AmeriTowne, Colorado has several.  5th graders in Casper will begin running the town in a couple of weeks. The vision of the Daniels Fund, Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Wyoming, Natrona County School District, and other partners is to see WyoTowne be available for many, many more students across the state.  Here is an article about the grand opening and a link to more information about AmeriTowne.

Ribbon Cutting at Young AmeriTowne-WyoTowne
Ribbon Cutting at Young AmeriTowne-WyoTowne
The AmeriTowne experience is the foundation for financial literacy
The AmeriTowne experience is the foundation for financial literacy

Other Updates:

The Chapter 31 rules were unanimously approved for promulgation by the State Board yesterday. The rules are the result of a year+ collaboration with school districts. Thank you for your work in helping us hit the mark on graduation requirements that help ensure comparability, excellence, and local flexibility.

Also, a team from WDE will travel to Washington, DC next week to work on ESSA implementation. I will spend a full day working as part of an ESSA work group with other state chiefs. I am also participating on a national panel to discuss Title II priorities. Thank you to the multiple school leaders who provided feedback to me this week as I prepared for the panel. We are anxious to share additional information and resources with you in the coming weeks.

Memos to be released on Monday, April 4:

Jillian

Class of 2015 Posts 79.4% Four-Year Graduation Rate

News Releases,

CHEYENNE – High school graduation rates in Wyoming increased slightly for the 2014-15 school year, according to information released by the Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) today. Full graduation rate statistics are available at edu.wyoming.gov/data/graduation-rates/.

“We applaud the efforts of our high schools to graduate more students last year, however we are not where we want to be,” said State Superintendent Jillian Balow. “Graduation is the gateway to next steps: college, career, and military. Every student should be graduating from high school. We will intensify our support to struggling schools and focus on diversifying education experiences for students.”

The Every Student Succeeds Act requires close monitoring of graduation rates and intentional work to ensure individual student growth.2015 Grad Rates Graph

Wyoming’s “on-time” graduation rate of 79.41 percent in 2014-15 is up from the 2013-14 rate of 78.6 percent, and the 2012-13 rate of 77.5 percent. Seven schools achieved  a 100 percent four-year graduation rate:

  • Burlington High School, Big Horn #1
  • Cokeville High School, Lincoln #2
  • Meeteetse School, Park #16
  • Chugwater High School, Platte #1
  • Guernsey-Sunrise High School, Platte #2
  • Skyline Academy, Sublette #1
  • Ten Sleep K-12, Washakie #2

Thirteen Wyoming school districts posted rates of 90 percent or above:

  • Platte #2: 100%
  • Washakie #2: 100%
  • Park #16: 100%
  • Teton #1: 95.93%
  • Weston #7: 95.65
  • Big Horn #3: 93.75
  • Crook #1: 93.33
  • Sublette #9: 92.59
  • Big Horn #2: 92.45
  • Sheridan #1: 91.18
  • Lincoln #2: 90.95
  • Fremont #24: 90.91
  • Sublette #1: 90.54

Since the 2009-10 school year, the WDE has calculated graduation rates using the Federal Four-Year Adjusted Cohort methodology established by the U.S. Department of Education, complying with federal law that requires all states to calculate graduation rates the same way. Students are counted in the four-year (“on-time”) high school graduation rate if they earn a diploma by September 15 following their cohort’s fourth year. Five- and six-year graduation rates are also calculated, and can be viewed with the rest of the graduation rate data.

Graduation Rate Slideshow

– END –

Media Contact:
Kari Eakins, Communications Director
kari.eakins@wyo.gov
307-777-2053

Updates on ESSA Transition

Superintendent's Update, , , , , ,

Dear Superintendents,

I ask that you please spend time previewing the attached memos. In particular, there is a memo about calculating AYP during the transition from NCLB to ESSA. Last year, I encouraged our state to focus on state-driven performance reports versus AYP. The reports are aligned with the Wyoming accountability system and present an accurate reflection of the successes and challenges in our schools. This year, performance reports is all we will focus on since AYP will not be calculated. Over the next several weeks, additional ESSA guidance will be conveyed to you. The USDOE released a helpful FAQ document that most of your have seen. In case you haven’t, here is a link to it:

http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/essa/faq/essa-faqs.pdf

As always, please don’t hesitate to contact us with questions or suggestions on how to best communicate the information.

This week I spent time with incoming UW President Laurie Nichols at the Trustees’ meeting. She officially starts her new post in May and brings energy, experience, and a depth of knowledge about K12 education. We’ve already begun a robust conversation about dual/concurrent enrollment, curriculum alignment, teacher/leader preparation and more. I am anxious for you to meet her.

Incoming UW President Dr. Laurie Nichols
Incoming UW President Dr. Laurie Nichols

Memos to be released Monday, March 28:

Jillian

Draft Science Standards

Superintendent's Update, , ,

Dear Superintendents,

Today, draft Wyoming Science Content and Performance Standards were released.  The WDE held a press conference this morning where we discussed the review/development process, the 41-person committee, and a few highlights in the standards and the process.  We also fielded questions including how the committee reconciled controversial language and standards such as climate change. Here is a link to the media release and draft standards: http://edu.wyoming.gov/draft-science-standards-available-to-the-public/ 

The committee shared their views on the review and development process in a video: https://youtu.be/5hXolvWbazY

It was with the help of Wyoming superintendents that the standards review process was improved to include greater transparency and inclusiveness while maintaining a commitment to high rigor of standards. Thank you for your work!

Next week, the State Board will have an opportunity to discuss the draft standards and vote on next steps.

unnamed
Wyoming Science Standards Review Committee reaches consensus

Legislative Update

The Legislative Management Council met on Wednesday to determine interim study topics for education:

Priority #: 1 Every Student Succeeds Act

Priority #: 2 Wyoming Accountability in Education Act (WAEA)

Priority #: 3 School Finance

Priority #: 4 Hathaway Scholarship Program

Priority #: 5 Alignment of public education efforts

Priority #: 6 Distance Education

Priority #: 7 Medically Necessary Placements

These are the topics that will be discussed in the interim at 3 x 2-day meetings.  One or more of the topics may result in committee-sponsored legislation for the 2017 session.

Disability Awareness Proclamation
Disability Awareness Proclamation
Lander receives its accreditation award along with others at the Spring AdvancEd Conference
Lander receives its accreditation award along with others at the Spring AdvancEd Conference

Memos to be released March 14, 2016: