ARKANSAS SBOE REJECTS PROPOSED MERGER OF SMALL DISTRICTS — The Arkansas State Board of Education turned down the merger request of two low-enrollment, rural school districts. The nine-member board rejected the merger when the panel deadlocked at 4-4 with one abstention. The application to join the 330-student Lead Hill district with the larger Ozark Mountain district fell through when board members noted that there is another, closer district with which Lead Hill could merge, among other objections. Proponents wanted the union because it would allow the smaller district to maintain its current campus. Arkansas law requires any district with fewer than 350 students in consecutive years to be annexed to one or more nearby districts. Source: Arkansas News Bureau (3/12/12)

COLORADO STATE BOARD VOTES AGAINST RENEWING CHARTER — The Colorado State Board of Education voted 4-3 to uphold the decision of the Denver Board of Education and not renew the charter of Life Skills High School. Because there are no appeals beyond the state board, the school will close at the end of this school year. The Ohio-based for-profit corporation White Hat Management, which has had problems meeting regulations in other states, operates the school. Source: EdNews Colorado (3/7/12)

CONNECTICUT BOARD APPROVES ADVISORY PANEL TO FOCUS ON IMPROVING TEACHER PREP — The state board of education in Connecticut unanimously approved creation of an advisory council charged with making recommendations for a new system for the approval, regulation, oversight, and accreditation of teacher preparation programs in the state. In particular, the state board wants to see more importance given to the quality of program graduates through factors such as the academic standing of those entering prep programs, feedback from school districts on recent hires, and learning gains produced by new teachers. Among those serving on the Educator Preparation Advisory Council will be Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor, the president of the higher education board, and representatives from school boards, superintendents, school administrators, and teachers groups. The council will present its recommendations to the state board by April 2012. Source: Hartford Courant (3/7/12)

OREGON STATE BOARD DETAILS WHAT GOES INTO DISTRICT COMPACTS — Just a week after the legislature passed a bill directing school districts and higher education institutions to sign non-binding promises to the state to meet certain education goals, Oregon’s Education Investment Board determined what will be required of K-12 districts. Districts must pledge improved graduation rates, higher 3rd grade reading and math scores, better 6th grade attendance, and improvement in the achievement of disadvantaged students. The compacts (as the pledges are called) must also include targets for the percentage of students who earn at least nine college credits during high school. The compacts are part of Gov. John Kitzhaber’s slate of education reforms designed to boost achievement through monetary rewards for programs that demonstrate the greatest success. Source: Corvallis Gazette-Times (3/13/12)

MICHIGAN STATE BOARD EXTENDS CHIEF’S CONTRACT — After a positive evaluation, the Michigan State Board of Education extended state Superintendent Mike Flanagan’s contract one additional year to May 1, 2015. State board President John Austin said, “Happily, we universally as a Board laud and note Mike’s leadership, his effective and incredible management here, keeping morale up, and keeping so much effective work going, given a tight budget.” Source: Michigan Department of Education press release (3/13/12)

NEVADA GOV. PICKS NEW STATE SUPERINTENDENT — Gov. Brian Sandoval chose noted education scholar and author James W. Guthrie to be state superintendent of public instruction. Under Nevada’s new governance structure, the governor picks the state schools chief from a list of three candidates chosen by the state board of education. Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal (3/15/12)

WEST VIRGINIA EVALUATIONS BILL SENT TO GOVERNOR — Teachers and principals in West Virginia will be judged along similar criteria each year, according to a bill likely to be signed by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin. The measure calls for 20 percent of educators’ evaluations to be based on student performance, including test scores. The bill also includes provisions for mentoring first-year teachers. For teachers, the remaining 80 percent of their evaluations will be based on other measures of job performance to be determined through observations. The remainder of principals’ assessments will include surveys of students, parents, teachers, and service personnel. The bill, passed by lawmakers on the last day of their legislative session, was a state priority as the State Board of Education works on its application for a waiver from provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act. Sources: Charleston Daily Mail(3/10/12), MetroNews (3/10/12), West Virginia HB4236 H ED AM 2

MICHIGAN CREATES NEW DISTRICT WITH 15 DETROIT SCHOOLS — Michigan will remove 15 underperforming public schools from the Detroit school system to create a new school district with a 210-day school year. The district will fall under Gov. Rick Snyder’s Education Achievement Authority, created to turn around failing schools, but principals and staff will have authority to make their own operational decisions. In addition to extending the school year from the 170 days required by state law, students will be grouped by ability instead of years in school and advancement will be based on subject mastery. Families have the option of transferring their children to schools remaining in the Detroit system before the changes take effect this fall. Source: Detroit News (3/13/12)

IDAHO STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION SUPPORTS CONCUSSION BILL — Idaho’s State Board of Education unanimously supported a state House bill to protect student athletes from concussions. The measure calls on the board to work with the state high school activities association to provide access to pertinent information “in accordance with standards of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” It would also place the onus on athletes and their parents to sign forms stating they have read the standards before a child could play a sport. This measure would also protect coaches and school districts from liability if they follow the rules. The bill passed through legislative committee and awaits a House floor vote. It should be noted, however, that the CDC is still in the process of determining guidelines and does not plan to release them until 2013. Sources: Idaho Statesman (3/9/12); Education Week(10/27/11)

NEW EDUCATOR EVALUATION LAW IN WASHINGTON STATE — A law recently signed by Washington state Gov. Chris Gregoire adds student improvement on tests as a measure of teacher performance and uses teacher feedback on evaluations of principals. The measure builds on an evaluation system developed two years ago, but this iteration of the system provide evaluation templates for districts statewide, whereas districts previously had to design their own. In addition, the changes detail how a poor evaluation could lead to probation or being fired and provides guidelines on how to conduct teacher observations. Districts will have until the 2013-2014 school year to begin implementing the system, with another two years beyond that for full implementation. Source: Seattle Times (3/13/12)

IOWA AG SAYS ONLINE SCHOOLS WOULD NOT VIOLATE STATE LAW — In an opinion written in response to a legislator’s request, Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller said two proposed online academies that will be operated by for-profit companies would not run afoul of state law. Some opponents of the cyber schools argue these schools are illegal because Iowa court decisions have made clear that “the only powers which may be exercised by a school board are those expressly conferred upon them by statute or necessarily implied from those express powers” (Dillon’s Rule), and that contracting with private companies to start virtual schools is outside of these limits. But Miller said a 1987 law authorizing the state board of education to “adopt rules…for the use of telecommunications as an instructional tool” indirectly grants this authority to districts. The only stipulations are that the curriculum and students be taught and supervised by licensed teachers. Because the rules have not been revised since 1990, Miller in his opinion “strongly encourage[s] the [State] Board to…update the rules and allow public comment and political input on the merits of these programs through the rulemaking process.” Sources: Des Moines Register (3/13/12), Opinion by Miller and Pottorff (3/12/12)

NASBE’s February 2012 Policy Update, “Online Learning: New Policies Needed for New Educational Environments,” examines a number of the policy considerations states face in fostering and overseeing effective online education. (Policy Update available for download below.)

WISCONSIN LEGISLATURE SENDS NEW SEX ED BILL TO GOV. — Lawmakers in Wisconsin passed a sex education bill that largely overturns current law–passed in 2010–that specifies districts must teach comprehensive sex ed or nothing. The new measure would require schools with sex ed courses to teach abstinence is the only sure way to prevent pregnancy and avoid STDs. Sex education courses also would have to discuss parental responsibility and the socioeconomic benefits of marriage and explain pregnancy, prenatal development, and childbirth. The rest of the curriculum would be left to the discretion of local school districts. Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (3/14/12)

WYOMING JOINS MILITARY INTERSTATE CHILDREN’S COMPACT COMMISSION — Wyoming became the 41st state to join the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3). The Compact was organized to make school transfers easier for children in military families as they move from state-to-state. Source: Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission press release (3/9/12)