ARIZONA STATE BOARD GIVEN AUTHORITY TO OK MASTERY-BASED PROGRAMS — The Arizona State Board of Education can now approve competency-based college- and career-readiness programs. A new education reform law allows students in 7th through 12th grades to receive credit based on subject mastery instead of meeting the traditional seat time requirements. The new law is an extension of the state’s “Move on When Ready” campaign that established the Grand Canyon Diploma. The Diploma allows students to pass certain course examinations to graduate from high school early. Sources: (Tempe) East Valley Tribune (4/6/12) and www.arizonafuture.org/mowr/

OHIO STATE BOARD CALLS FOR BIPARTISAN AND COLLABORATIVE ACTION ON CLEVELAND TURNAROUND PLAN — The Ohio State Board of Education unanimously passed a resolution urging collaboration and bi-partisanship in order to find a solution to the Cleveland school district’s academic and financial problems. The state board did not endorse a plan put forward by Cleveland’s mayor to fire low-rated teachers, fund charter schools with local tax monies, and change the length of the school day or year, among other ideas. Instead, the board called for “a collaborative, bi-partisan process that involves all relevant stakeholders to create a framework to help produce dramatic improvement” in the district. Source: Columbus-Dispatch (4/11/12); Ohio State Board of Education Resolution (4/10/12)

OKLAHOMA STATE BOARD CHOOSES SIX SCHOOLS FOR INTERVENTION — The Oklahoma State Board of Education named six low-performing schools for direct intervention and support from the state Education Department. Schools in the College, Career, and Citizen ready (C3) program get help to improve academic performance and instructional methods. The schools are chosen by the board from a list of so-called “Priority Schools,” which are the lowest performing 5 percent of schools in the state. In addition to the six schools, the board tabled a decision to include a charter school in the C3 schools pending further review of a revised application from the charter school. Source: Oklahoma Department of Education website (4/9/12), Oklahoman (4/10/12)

STATE SPENDING ON PRE-K DROPS TO 2001-02 LEVELS — The annual State of Preschool yearbook by the National Institute of Early Education research (NIEER) found that state spending on pre-k programs is equal to the expenditures for the 2001-02 school year when adjusted for inflation. While states expanded pre-k programs in the last decade, NIEER found that spending to maintain program quality did not keep pace. Rather, per-pupil spending has decreased by $715 per student (adjusted) from 2001-11, including by $145 for the 2010-11 school year alone (to a national average of $4,151 per child), when spending nationally decreased by a total of $60 million. Sources: NIEER press release (4/10/12), Governing.com (4/10/12)

ARIZONA GOVERNOR VETOES EXPANSION OF VOUCHER PROGRAM — Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed an expansion of the state’s voucher program for special needs students. The vetoed bill would have expanded this program beyond special needs students to students who attend schools with a D or F grade by the state, gifted students, and children of parents who serve in the armed forces. The standing law permits parents to apply 90 percent of a student’s state funding for the year in the form of a scholarship that can pay for a variety of educational services including homeschooling and private schools. However, the student must withdraw from public schooling. The governor noted after the veto that “we must ensure that government is not artificially (manipulating) the market through state budget or tax policy in a manner that would…undermine rational choice in a competitive market.” Sources: East Valley Tribune (4/6/12), Capitol Media Services (4/4/12)

DELAWARE ALLOWS SCHOOLS TO HIRE TEACHERS BASED ON PROJECTED ENROLLMENT — Delaware Gov. Jack Markell signed an extension of a state law allowing schools to hire teachers in April for the next school year based on projected enrollment instead of in September when more concrete enrollment numbers are available. The intent of the measure is to hire educators as soon possible to integrate them into the school systems and individual classrooms. Source: (Wilmington) News-Journal (4/9/12)

LOUISIANA PASSES EDUCATION REFORM PACKAGE THAT INCLUDES VOUCHERS AND ALTERNATE PATHWAYS FOR CHARTER SCHOOL APPROVALS — The Louisiana Legislature passed a package of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s education reform plans, which includes merit pay and voucher bills. The pair of bills would link educator compensation and school superintendent job security to student performance, provide superintendents the authority to hire and fire education personnel, establish alternative pathways for the approval of charter schools, and establish a statewide publicly funded private school voucher program for low-income students. If signed, which is probable, the measures would go into effect for the 2012-13 school year, and the new teacher evaluation system that will determine tenure would be implemented during the 2013-14 school year. The state’s teacher unions already signaled their intent to intend to challenge in court the constitutionality of the private school voucher proposal.
Under the legislation, the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education would have to develop and adopt new regulations for the new charter school approval process with State Superintendent John White. Source: New Orleans Times-Picayune (4/5/12)

TENNESSEE LAW ENCOURAGES QUESTIONING OF EVOLUTION & CLIMATE CHANGE IN SCIENCE CLASSES — A Tennessee measure that protects teachers who teach creationism and  encourages the questioning in science classes of scientific theories such as evolution and climate change became law without the signature of Gov. Bill Haslam. The law, which was widely opposed by scientists and other groups as a means to introduce creationism into science classes, enjoyed great bipartisan support in the legislature. The lack of a signature was a symbolic representation of the governor’s opposition for the bill but recognition that a veto would not stand. “…good legislation should bring clarity and not confusion. My concern is that this bill has not met this objective,” he said. Source: Tennessean (4/11/12)

VIRGINIA LAW ADDS ONLINE & CTE COURSES TO HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS — A new Virginia law will require high school students to take at least one online course to graduate starting with the 2013-14 freshman class. The state already offers online classes through the Department of Education’s “Virtual Virginia” website. In addition to the online learning credits for standards and advanced diplomas, candidates for a standard diploma will also have to earn an industry certification or state license in career and technical education. Source: Washington Post (4/6/2012)

VIRGINIA GOVERNOR VETOES PHYSICAL EDUCATION BILL FOR SECOND TIME — Calling it an unfunded mandate, Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell vetoed a bill calling for physical education guidelines in public schools. This is the second year in a row the Governor rejected a physical education standards bill. Source: Washington Post (4/10/12)

VERMONT LAUNCHES FINANCIAL LITERACY PILOT PROGRAM — A coalition of state agencies and private foundations and corporations launched a program through Champlain College to determine the efficacy of high school financial literacy instruction. The pilot program is designed to examine the economic behavior of high school students who receive financial literacy instruction from highly trained educators and compare those students to classmates who do not get similar instruction. Source: Champlain College press release (4/4/12)

CALIFORNIA SUES ORANGE COUNTY OVER EDUCATION FUNDS — The state of California is suing Orange County to keep county officials from using education funds to pay for things unrelated to education. In a plan to balance their budget, county officials said they were going to transfer property tax monies, which fund K-12 public schools and community colleges, to other purposes – a move the state contends is unconstitutional. The chancellor of California’s community college has also joined the state in the suit. Source: Los Angeles Times (4/5/2012)

FEDERAL UPDATE 

U.S. Department Of Education Invites Five States To Apply For Next Round Of Early Learning Challenge Grants — The U.S. Department of Education announced it will give  $133 million to five states for the next round of Early Learning Challenge grants under the Race to the Top Program. The Department invited Colorado, Illinois, New Mexico, Oregon, and Wisconsin to apply for the next round based on the strength of their applications from the first round when they were among 30 other states and jurisdictions to apply. States, pursuant to their grants, are required to increase access to high-quality early education programs to low-income students and implement early learning standards, among other things. The Department will release a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register later in the spring with grant approvals expected later this year. Source: U.S. Department of Education press release (4/9/12)

** ANNOUNCEMENTS ** 

THE 10TH ANNUAL HEALTHY SCHOOLS DAY, focused on the promotion of healthy and green indoor learning environments in schools, is coming up April 24. To find out more about the day or to plan and register an event as part of the occasion, go to http://www.nationalhealthyschoolsday.org/.

THIS YEAR’S READ FOR THE RECORD book is Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad. The annual reading challenge will also be a week long for the first time to give more people the chance to participate in the literacy promotion activity. For more information, go to www.wegivebooks.org.

FIND OUT WHAT “GREEN CLEANING” CAN MEAN FOR SCHOOLS in the latest issue of NASBE’s award-winning journal, The State Education Standard. Read “Green Cleaning Schools” to learn just exactly what “green cleaning” means, how to recognize certified green products, examples of how states have implemented green cleaning policies, and more! Go to http://goo.gl/js1hU to purchase copies or examine downloadable articles.

WANT TO KEEP UP WITH NASBE on your Android phone? No problem. Just go to http://bit.ly/pEmZla or search NASBE in the Android marketplace to download and get started with the NASBE Now app!