Joint Education Committee Meeting Summary
(September 23-24, 2002)

The Joint Education Interim Committee met in Afton to receive progress reports on specified school finance studies required by 2002 legislation.  Representatives of St. Stephen’s School on the Wind River Indian Reservation submitted a request for state funds in addition to existing federal BIA funds.  The Committee suggested the matter be further discussed by Fremont county legislators, representatives from St. Stephen’s and the State Department of Education prior to presenting a request to the Legislature.  The Committee received an update on the Wyoming Cost of Living Index study and its use in the Regional Cost Adjustment.  Recommendations will be presented to the Committee at its October meeting, with the intent to incorporate the actual cost of living as accurately as possible.  Department of Education officials updated the Committee on the special education study being conducted by the American Institute of Research (AIR), with final recommendations to be presented at the October meeting regarding the feasibility of developing a cost-based adjustment to the block grant funding model for special education.

 

The Department of Education also reported on the development of state standards and student assessments and compliance with requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law.   The Committee requested draft legislation expanding the statewide assessment (WyCAS) to grades 3, 5, 6 and 7 in addition to grades 4, 8 and 11 required under existing law to bring state assessment statutes into compliance with NCLB.  The Committee requested draft legislation requiring the State Department to initiate the development of a process integrating rewards and sanctions requirements of NCLB into the state accountability system for consideration at the November Committee meeting.  The Committee also received a progress report from the State Department’s consultant for the development of a cost-based adjustment to the school finance funding model for vocational education.  The Committee is scheduled to meet again in Laramie on October 23, 24 and 25, at which all school finance studies will be reported and considered.


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