Hello, Education Insiders! Every Friday Stand for Children will share with you what’s happening under the dome at 23rd and Lincoln in regards to all K-12 education legislation. If you have any questions, please contact our operations coordinator, Amy Stinnett, at [email protected], or Gwendolyn Caldwell, our government affairs director, at [email protected]. If you’d like to join us as a strong voice for education this session, please visit http://stand.org/oklahoma/ to see how you can help each child in Oklahoma receive a world-class education.

Last Friday evening Representative David Dank passed away. He died of a heart attack at the age of 76. Stand for Children Oklahoma had the pleasure of visiting with Rep. Dank last summer as we interviewed candidates for our endorsement. He was a man of genuine conviction, still carrying with him a deep love for his late wife Odilia and continuing his crusade for smarter tax credits that benefit the taxpayer and the state’s economy. Rep. Dank will certainly be missed.

Another deadline is looming; the deadline for third reading and final passage of measures from the opposite house is this Thursday, the 23rd.

Advocates for the parent-teacher teams created in last year’s RSA bill have been working hard to ensure one of the RSA measures continues to move through the process before next week’s deadline, and we are optimistic this will happen. However, the pressure needs to remain on legislators to protect these teams so that parents and teachers have a voice in the retention decisions for struggling readers.

The number of parents and teachers who have already contacted their lawmakers is encouraging, but there’s still time for more engagement on this issue. Please take the time to contact your lawmakers and remind them of the importance of investing in struggling readers and ensuring parents and teachers have a seat at the table when determining either the retention or promotion of their students from the third grade.

Charter School Expansion Bill Heads to Gov. Mary Fallin The approved amendments to a bill Thursday that allows the creation of charter schools statewide, a move that sends the legislation to Gov. Mary Fallin. Tight state budget put education and transportation on the spot The point was brought home in recent weeks when, just days after educators, parents and students descended on the Capitol to demand more money for public schools, the state's road contractors launched a campaign warning the Legislature not to raid highway funds as it contemplates a $611 million budget shortfall. Help wanted: Schools struggling to meet state requirements for test monitors State-mandated testing requires test monitors to keep the process honest. But it’s a hard sell to parents and other would-be volunteers. With testing already underway, public schools all over the area are under pressure to find enough monitors fast. Mayor unveils Tulsa Tech aviation project for high school students Mayor Dewey Bartlett and education officials on Wednesday morning announced the creation of an aviation-industry academy for high school students beginning this fall. Oklahoma science & math school “down to the bone” on state funding The Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics (OSSM) is in the middle of a funding crisis, much like the entire education system. School districts throughout Oklahoma could create charter schools under bill Backers of the measure, Senate Bill 782, said the legislation will give parents and school boards greater opportunity to address the educational needs of young people. Opponents said it would dilute public school funding at a time when schools are in need of more money. Tulsa schools superintendent: Reigniting partnership and collaboration in our schools One example of collaboration in action is the partnership TPS has developed with Teach For America. TFA helps bring more diverse and effective talent to Tulsa and to nurture the collaboration between veteran educators and new teachers from various pathways to expand educational opportunities for students. Mustang prekindergarten teacher wants to be light in their lives Molly Murray was named teacher of the year at Mustang Education Center.

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Sooner Survey: Education Revelations The public is not as divided on education issues as some might believe, a fresh Sooner Survey reports. Pat McFerron writes “For voters, the world is not divided into education reformers vs. proponents of public education. Voters want both: reforms and funding.” Oklahoma loses a fine public servant in state Rep. David Dank The sudden passing Friday of state Rep. David Dank leaves the Legislature without its leading proponent for thorough reviews of tax credits, and the potential elimination of some. Oklahoma must improve on science, technology, engineering and math investments Oklahoma still ranks near the bottom in many evaluations of science, technology, engineering and math achievement, according to the National science Board. EDITORIAL: Achievements of Oklahoma science-math school justify its funding It says something about the state of education in Oklahoma that local officials will fight tooth and nail to prevent closure of even the worst-performing school site, but far less energy is expended regarding the potential loss of one of the state’s best schools: the Oklahoma School of Science and Math. Ginnie Graham: Peppermint breath is side effect of high-stakes testing A fourth-grade teacher made an oddly specific request to my PTA for a brand of gum. She describes how her students will chew it for five minutes before an exam, then spit it out. The intention is to boost brain activity for improved scores. It’s based on research, she said. I checked. It’s legit. Public Schools district students get pumped up for start of state testing period With so much riding on the outcome of statewide testing, the Oklahoma City Public Schools district is turning to cheerleaders, band members and motivational speeches to ease the anxiety felt by students and teachers. Union High School students put STEM skills to the test in bridge design competition A group of about 80 Union High School students put their STEM skills to the test Friday during the Student Impact Project Bridge Competition.

We’re tracking hundreds of bills that will impact the success of Oklahoma students this session. But we’re paying especially close attention to a list of bills we’re calling our “Watch List.” As the session progresses, we’ll be updating the list as needed, but wanted you Education Insiders to be in the know.

STATUS: S General Order

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SUMMARY: Requires the State Board of Education to administer a valid and reliable criterion-referenced test that measures only reading proficiency and not proficiency in the language arts to determine the promotion and retention of third grade students pursuant to the Reading Sufficiency Act. (Amended by House, Stricken Title, Stricken enacting clause)

STATUS: S General Order SUMMARY: Establishes the School District Unfunded-Mandate Relief Program which will be administered by the State Board of Education to empower locally elected school district boards of education to avoid unfunded and underfunded state imposed mandates created by state law and associated State Board of Education rules. The bill requires that a school district will be deregulated from certain unfunded or underfunded mandates and associated State Board of Education rules places on upon the school district by the Legislature upon approval of the state board. The bill requires the State Board of Education rules, the amount of funding necessary to implement each mandate and associated State Board of Education rule, and the current level of funding provided by the to implement each mandate and associated State Board of Education rule. The bill requires the list to be approved by the State Board of Education no later than on Feb. 1 of each fiscal year. The bill provides that a state mandate will be deemed underfunded if the level of funding provided by the Legislature is at or below 75% of the funding necessary to implement the mandate as determined by the State Board of Education and to be deemed unfunded if the level of funding provided by the Legislature is at 0% of the funding necessary to implement the mandate as determined by the State Board of Education. The bill clarifies self-referential language. It also expands the scope of school boards exempted from the provisions listed therein. (Amended by House, Amended by Senate, Stricken enacting clause, Committee Substitute)

STATUS: H Senate Amendments Read SUMMARY: Adds alternative methods for satisfactorily demonstrating mastery of state academic content standards in certain subject areas listed within the bill in relation to the end-of-instruction criterion-reference tests. (Amended by House, Amended by Senate, Emergency Measure)

STATUS: S General Order SUMMARY: Requires the members on a board of education to appoint members if, after the filing period closes, no candidate has filed and a vacancy is created. The bill allows appointment of members outside of the board or election district but requires the individual to reside in the school district and to meet other eligibility qualifications.

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STATUS: Governor Action – Signed SUMMARY: Provides that teacher compensation does not include one-time incentive pay that is provided by the school district to a teacher not one-time retention incentive pay for returning a second year and exempts the pay from a negotiated agreement.

STATUS: S General Order SUMMARY: Modifies the qualifications required to participate in the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (OHLAP) to include a child in the permanent custody of the Department of Human n Services at the time the student enrolls in the program or after completing the 10th grade or reaching the age of 16. (Emergency Measure, Committee Substitute)

STATUS: H Enrolled SUMMARY: Allows a board of education of any school district, residing at least partially in a county with a population of at least 500,000, with an average daily membership of at least 30,000 to contract with a public or private nonsectarian entity to provide educational and administrative services for the school district. The bill suggests what those services may include. (Emergency Measure)

STATUS: S General Order SUMMARY: Allows any school district to sponsor a charter school. The bill allows the State Board of Education to sponsor a school has been denied by its own school district. This bill allows a sponsor to give priority to certain applicants. The bill specifies what will be included in an application for a charter sent to a sponsor. It specifies what powers the charter school sponsor will have and requires sponsors to develop a protocol for accepting and denying school applications. This bill outlines what may be included in a contract between a sponsor and a charter school and states that no public charter school will begin operations without a contract in place. It specifies what will be included in the performance provisions of the contract. The bill outlines requirements for the renewal of a contract and specifies what a sponsor will consider when making contract renewal decisions. This bill prohibits charter identified as being in the bottom 5 percent in school performance from being renewed. It outlines what a sponsor will do if a charter refuses to be closed. The bill requires a sponsor to clearly state why a school's contract is not renewed. This bill states the capacity of a charter school will be determined by the governing body of the charter, not the sponsor. It states the governing body of a charter may not issue bonds or levy taxes. (Amended by House, Committee Substitute)

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STATUS: H General Order SUMMARY: Provides the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board with administrative duties, including decisions on supplemental online courses. The bill authorizes the board to establish a review and certification process for supplemental online courses. It also permits the board to negotiate contracts with the providers of these courses and provide school districts with certified supplemental online courses with an emphasis in science, technology, engineering, math, foreign language and advanced placement courses. (Amended by House, Emergency Measure, Committee Substitute)

STATUS: H General Order SUMMARY: Modifies the income level for participation in the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (OHLAP). The bill changes the measure of the income to federal adjusted gross income from taxable and nontaxable sources and increases the amount to $55,000 from $50,000. (Amended by House, Amended by Senate, Stricken Title, Stricken enacting clause)

STATUS: S House Amendments – Read SUMMARY: Requires the State Board of Education to align the standards for early childhood education programs with newly adopted standards. (Amended by House, Committee Substitute)

STATUS: H General Order SUMMARY: Creates a revolving fund designated the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board Revolving Fund for the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board in the State Treasury. (Amended by Senate, Emergency Measure)

STATUS: H General Order SUMMARY: Entitles, beginning with the 2015-2016 school year, a student who is identified at any point of the academic year as having a reading deficiency to intensive remediation in reading until the student is able to demonstrate proficiency in reading at the grade level in which the student is enrolled. It requires for a student enrolled in first or second grades who scores below proficient on a screening instrument which meets the acquisition of reading skills criteria an intensive remediation plan shall be developed by a "Student Reading Proficiency Team. It establishes the members of the team. The bill removes provisions related to students who do not qualify for automatic promotion because of a "limited knowledge" score. The bill extends provisions for probationary

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promotion to the 2019-2020 school year and removes the school principal from the Student Reading Proficiency Team. The bill clarifies language related to retention of students. (Amended by House, Amended by Senate, Stricken Title, Stricken enacting clause)

STATUS: H General Order SUMMARY: Requires the State Board of Education along with the Teacher and Leader Effectiveness (TLE) Commission to study continued implementation of the TLE to produce a system that promotes reflection and professional growth for teachers and leaders. (Amended by House, Amended by Senate, Stricken Title, Stricken enacting clause)

STATUS: H General Order SUMMARY: Requires the State Board of Education, in consultation with multiple other entities, to develop recommendations for the requirements a student must meet to earn a high school diploma. The bill requires the Board to hold public meetings and solicit public input, designate assessments to determine college readiness, and consider alternative assessments. The bill allows the Board to adopt the requirements by May 1, 2016 and a timeline to implement the requirements. (Amended by House, Amended by Senate, Stricken Title, Stricken enacting clause, Committee Substitute)

STATUS: S Enrolled SUMMARY: Allows any school district to sponsor a charter school. The bill allows the State Board of Education to sponsor a school has been denied by its own school district. This bill allows a sponsor to give priority to certain applicants. The bill specifies what will be included in an application for a charter sent to a sponsor. It specifies what powers the charter school sponsor will have and requires sponsors to develop a protocol for accepting and denying school applications. This bill outlines what may be included in a contract between a sponsor and a charter school and states that no public charter school will begin operations without a contract in place. It specifies what will be included in the performance provisions of the contract. The bill outlines requirements for the renewal of a contract and specifies what a sponsor will consider when making contract renewal decisions. This bill prohibits charter identified as being in the bottom 5 percent in school performance from being renewed. It outlines what a sponsor will do if a charter refuses to be closed. The bill requires a sponsor to clearly state why a school's contract is not renewed. This bill states the capacity of a charter school will be determined by the governing body of the charter, not the 7

sponsor. It states the governing body of a charter may not issue bonds or levy taxes. (Amended by House, Amended by Senate, Committee Substitute)

STATUS: H General Order SUMMARY: Requires a student, beginning in the 2015-2016 school year, who shows at any point in the school year a reading deficiency to receive intensive remediation in reading until they become proficient at the appropriate level. The bill establishes a Student Reading Proficiency Team to develop the intensive remediation plan. (Amended by House, Amended by Senate, Stricken Title, Stricken enacting clause, Committee Substitute)

No committee meetings this week. Legislative agendas not yet posted.

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