TEXAS STATE BOARD OKS MATH STANDARDS; REJECTS LINKED EXAMS UNTIL MONEY ALLOCATED TO BUY MATCHING TEXTBOOKS — The Texas State Board of Education gave preliminary approval to new math standards, but also decided state standardized tests will not reflect the new standards until the legislature allocates funds to buy textbooks to match. The new standards are based on a draft of new state math exams in addition to standards in Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Singapore. However, the board unanimously decided against implementing exams aligned with the standards until textbooks that complement the new curriculum could be purchased. The state education department estimates new math texts for K-12 students would cost about $350 million. The new math curriculum is slated to be implemented for grades K-8 for the 2014-15 school year, and for high schools during the following year. Legislators said allocating another $350 million in a $52 billion education budget should not present any major problems. Sources: Texas Education Agency press release (1/27/12), Houston Chronicle (1/27/12)

US ED. DEPT CIVIL RIGHTS OFFICE REQUIRES DISTRICTS TO BROADEN DEFINITION OF SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES — In an attempt to clarify school districts’ obligations under the revised Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 2009, the U.S. Education Department’s Office of Civil Rights sent a letter to districts advising them of the expanded definition of and services for students with disabilities. The new guidance requires students who traditionally may not have been identified under Section 504 of IDEA and Title II under ADA to be reevaluated and tested under a broadened definition. For example, a student would qualify for a disability if “a major life activity is substantially limited” by the impairment such as a lung condition, ulcerative colitis, diabetes, and physical disabilities. The letter also requires districts to revise their qualifications to receive special education and the procedures determining the services a student with a disability would receive upon identification to comply with the revised ADA law. Further guidance is located in the letter and in the Office of Civil Rights FAQs. In addition, NASBE published a recent Policy Update titled, “The 2009 Amendments to the Americans with Disabilities Act : What They Mean for States and Schools.” Source: EdWeek.org (1/19/12) (Policy Update available for download below.)

NEW JERSEY PANEL RULES ANTI-BULLYING LAW HAS UNFUNDED MANDATES — A relatively obscure governance panel in New Jersey ruled the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Law adopted last year is an unfunded mandate and could be overturned. The Council on Local Mandates, a state panel established by constitutional amendment in 1995, can rule on whether state laws or regulations are unfunded mandates with no process for appeal by the state legislature or state agencies. The panel ruled the following four requirements cause a financial burden to school districts: 1) establishing bullying prevention programs for school staff and volunteers; 2) establishing new anti-bullying program personnel; 3) establishing school safety teams; and 4) requiring counseling and other services once an event is identified. The law, which was hailed as the toughest anti-bullying measure in the country when it was passed last year, was challenged by a school district that argued financial resources for student learning were reallocated to implement the mandate. If lawmakers do not provide adequate resources to school districts to implement the law, the unfunded portions of the law will expire. Source: Star-Ledger (1/27/12)

OHIO LEGISLATURE SENDS ANTI-BULLYING LAW TO GOVERNOR — Ohio lawmakers sent Gov. John Kasich an anti-bullying bill that would require school districts to expand their bullying and harassment policies to include bullying acts that occur off school grounds. The measure would also give school districts the authority to intervene in bullying messages sent through students’ mobile phones, computers, and other electronic devices, as well as in incidents occurring on school buses and at school-sanctioned events. Teachers would also have to receive and require annual training about recognizing and dealing with bullying. The bill is expected to be signed by Gov. Kasich. Sources: woubnew.org (1/18/12), news.cincinnati.com (1/26/12)

IDAHO TEACHER EVALUATIONS TO INCLUDE PARENTAL INPUT — A new law in Idaho makes parental input a factor in evaluating a teacher’s effectiveness. Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter quickly signed the measure passed by lawmakers earlier this week, which means that as of July 1, a minimum 50 percent of a teacher’s evaluation will be based on student achievement with parental or guardian input included as a factor. School districts have pointed out an ambiguity of the law, which does not prescribe at what point parental input should be included. Sources: LocalNews8.com (1/30/12), Idaho Legislature S1224

UTAH DEVELOPING FREE ONLINE TEXTBOOKS — The Utah State Office of Education is working to develop online textbooks in math, language arts, and science and make them available for free. Also known as open educational resources, these textbooks will be available to middle and high schools. Open math textbooks will likely be available this fall, with the others becoming available in the next two years. Once available, schools and students will be urged to use these textbooks online or print them at a cost of approximately $5 per book. Traditional textbooks cost roughly $80 each. Researchers in the state found that student learning was comparable between open textbooks and traditional ones when teachers had no additional training in use of open textbooks. The researchers theorized that with proper training for teachers, open textbooks will improve student achievement compared to traditional textbooks. Proponents also hope these textbooks will be able to more closely map to the state’s education standards compared to the current textbooks, which tend to draw from the standards of the largest textbook markets such as Texas and California. The state will be inviting districts to pilot training for the textbooks in the coming months. Source: Salt Lake Tribune (2/2/12)

TEXAS CHIEF REFUSES TO ENFORCE SOCIAL PROMOTION LAW UNTIL MANDATE IS FUNDED — Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott told school administrators his office will not enforce the state law barring social promotion of students until lawmakers fund programs to help improve student performance on state exams. The law calls for students in grades 5 through 8 to pass standardized tests before they can be promoted under a program that also mandates academic assistance for students who have trouble passing the tests. Funding for remedial instruction was cut from $293 million when George W. Bush was governor to $23.5 under Gov. Rick Perry. The ban on social promotion is on hiatus this school year because the state is instituting a new exam, but the ban will go back into effect for the 2012-13 school year. Source: Dallas Morning News (2/1/12)

SOUTH DAKOTA RESOLUTION ENCOURAGES BIBLE INSTRUCTION IN SCHOOLS — The South Dakota Legislature passed a non-binding resolution that encourages schools to teach about the content, characters, and narratives of the Bible so students are aware of the role the text has “played in the development of the literature, art, culture, and public discourse.” The resolution also asks the state board of education to include Bible instruction in the curriculum and identify resources—including textbooks—that will support this teaching without violating the separation of church and state found in the First Amendment. Opponents of the resolution voiced their concerns about government involvement in religious issues and the lack of representation of many other diverse religious texts that should also be studied by students. Source: NECN.com (1/31/12)