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 week we asked our first Insider Trivia Question, and we got a winner! The question was: How many bills were we left with after the last deadline? The answer: 699. Our winner: Leslie Blair! By now, she’s probably reading (and hopefully enjoying) the book we mailed her, The Smartest Kids in the World, a New York Times bestseller by Amanda Ripley. Thanks for participating, Leslie!

State Superintendent appeared before the Senate Appropriations Committee and House Appropriations and Budget on Education Committee on Wednesday to present the State Department of Education’s budget. The teacher shortage remained a key focal point as she addressed the budget challenges the state agency faces. She said we are already short 1,000 teachers and an anticipated budget cut would only serve to drive up that already crippling number. A 2 percent cut, she said, would translate to 1,781 missing teachers while a 4 percent cut would equal 2,810 teachers short.

In light of this teacher shortage, Superintendent Hofmeister remains determined to increase our teacher pay along with instructional days – what’s been dubbed her #OKhigh5 plan – gradually over the next five years.

Legislators across the board expressed appreciation for her goal, but with a $600 million budget hole, everyone has to expect some sort of cut.

The House and Senate did not convene Thursday and will both be taking recess for the next two Thursdays.

More budget cuts will increase Oklahoma teacher-shortage crisis, state superintendent Joy Hofmeister says Currently, the state is about 1,000 teachers short, Hofmeister said. A 2 percent cut in funding would increase that figure to 1,781, while a 4 percent cut would raise it to 2,810 teachers short, she said. Budget shortfall could hurt Oklahoma's education, health care, agency leaders warn The effects of a $611 million budget shortfall would have a huge impact on Oklahoma’s education and health care sectors, agency leaders warned on Wednesday. Editor's Notebook: Education standards, academic testing and school choice From an editor's notebook, a framework for new Oklahoma public education standards emerges, a legislative panel wants to reduce the number of standardized tests in schools, and Education Savings Accounts for Oklahoma parents and children are put on hold for a year. Oklahoma City schools superintendent wants changes to address district's suspension rate Oklahoma City Public Schools Superintendent Rob Neu said an internal audit revealed the district is “over-suspending” black and Hispanic students, and he questioned whether suspensions for excessive truancies, tardies and absences are justified during a school board meeting Monday night. Testing bills dominate House subcommittee discussions Fewer tests and more flexibility continued to be this session’s favored line for education legislation during Monday’s spring break-abbreviated schedule in the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

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Oklahoma bill targets state payroll deduction for teachers' union dues In what one lawmaker termed a poke in the eye to teachers, a divided Senate committee approved a House-passed bill Monday to prohibit tens of thousands of Oklahoma educators from paying union dues by state payroll deduction. Tulsa World Editorial: Children statewide should be able to enjoy the benefits of charter schools It’s time for all the children of Oklahoma to have access to the benefits of charter schools. Charter schools are public schools that are run with many of the benefits of private schools, including exemptions from many education rules and regulations. That allows for creative educational approaches. New study finds Reading Partners highly effective intervention for struggling readers Reading Partners operates tutoring centers in 15 local schools, matching 1,169 community volunteers with 784 students who are behind grade level in reading. Last year, 95 percent of students in the program increased their monthly rates of literacy learning. One year later: Hawthorne Elementary still struggling with teacher retention Now in her fourth year as principal at one of the city’s most at-risk schools, Bitson says she is beginning to accept that Hawthorne Elementary School’s reality is one of relentless challenge. OKC school counselor: End of instruction tests can be a burden for schools Reducing the number of tests would allow school counselors more time to help students apply for tech school, college and scholarships. It also would allow teachers more teaching time, which is what is most important. Tulsa World Editorial: Shelving of voucher plan is a victory for schools We see Wednesday’s news that backers are shelving an attempt to create a state school voucher system as a victory for grass-roots support of public schools. Trent England: What if grocery stores were like public schools? No doubt we could do better at achieving the goal of an educated public if we slipped the bonds of the status quo and determined to empower individuals to make their own choices in an expanding marketplace of educational opportunities.

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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: Second Reading – Referred to Senate Committee COMMITTEE(1): S Education COMMITTEE(2): S Appropriations 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)

STATUS: Second Reading – Referred to Senate Committee COMMITTEE(1): S Education COMMITTEE(2): S Appropriations 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 Oklahoma Legislature 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, Emergency Measure, Committee Substitute)

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STATUS: Second Reading – Referred to Senate Committee COMMITTEE(1): S Education 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, Stricken Title)

STATUS: Second Reading – Referred to Senate Committee COMMITTEE(1): S Rules 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.

STATUS: Second Reading – Referred to Senate Committee COMMITTEE(1): S Education 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: Second Reading – Referred to Senate Committee COMMITTEE(1): S Education 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)

STATUS: Second Reading – Referred to Senate Committee COMMITTEE(1): S Education 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)

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STATUS: Second Reading – Referred to Senate Committee (ON AGENDA) COMMITTEE(1): S Education COMMITTEE(2): S Appropriations SUMMARY: Modifies the list of entities that may sponsor a charter school to include any school district. The bill allows the State Board of Education to sponsor a charter school when the applicant has been denied a charter by the school district in which it will operate. The bill prohibits the board from sponsoring more than 10 charter schools per year and one school per district in any given year. The bill requires a sponsor to give priority to schools that serve at-risk student populations or students from low-performing traditional schools. This bill states a sponsor may give preference to applicants that have experience and a track record of success running a school or similar program. The bill specifies what an applicant must include on an application to host a charter. It lists the powers and duties of a charter school sponsor. The bill requires sponsors establish a procedure for accepting and disapproving charter school applications. It states charters will be immune from civil and criminal liability from the school it contracts with. The bill specifies what will be included in a charter school contract. It allows the sponsor to establish reasonable pre-opening requirements. The bill outlines how a charter school's performance will be judged by a sponsor. It sets guidelines for the renewal of a charter school contract. The bill would not have a charter school in the bottom 5 percent of schools by school grade have its charter site renewed. It establishes the parameters for the termination of charter schools. The bill states a charter schools capacity be determined by the school board of that charter. This bill allows a charter school to enter into private contract for the purpose of borrowing from lenders. (Amended by House, Stricken Title, Committee Substitute)

STATUS: S General Order SUMMARY: Prohibits a state agency from making payroll deductions on behalf of an employee for membership dues in any public employee association or professional organization that collectively bargains on behalf of its membership. (Amended by House, Amended by Senate, Stricken Title)

STATUS: Second Reading – Referred to Senate Committee COMMITTEE(1): S Education SUMMARY: Permits a student eligible to participate in the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (OHLAP) and to qualify for an award which includes payment of an amount equivalent to resident tuition or other tuition under the provisions of this bill for the first semester or other academic unit of postsecondary enrollment if the student is in

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the permanent custody of the Department of Human Services at the time the student enrolls in the program or in the permanent custody of the Department after completing the tenth grade or is in the permanent custody of the Department after reaching the age of 16. The bill requires that the OHLAP contact person be responsible for identifying students enrolled in the public school site or private school in the eighth, ninth, and tenth grade or are between the ages of 13 and 15, and are in the permanent custody of the Department. The bill additionally requires this person to notify the State Regents with the name of each student and notify the Regents if a student is in the permanent custody of the Department of Human Services at the time the student enrolls in the program or in the permanent custody of the Department after completing the tenth grade or is in the permanent custody of the Department after reaching the age of 16. It requires the State Regents enroll such students in the program and take steps to ensure that the students execute an agreement with provisions as determined the State Regents, upon notification. (Amended by House, Stricken Title, Committee Substitute)

STATUS: Second Reading – Referred to House Committee COMMITTEE(1): H Common Education SUMMARY: Permits a charter school to be sponsored by the governing body of a city having more than 300,000 population according to the latest Federal Decennial Census only when the charter school is located in a school district that has an average daily membership of 5,000 or more and which all or part of the school district is located within the boundaries of that city. (Amended by Senate, Emergency Measure)

STATUS: Second Reading – Referred to House Committee COMMITTEE(1): H Common Education 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. (Emergency Measure)

STATUS: Second Reading – Referred to House Committee COMMITTEE(1): H Appropriations & Budget 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

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gross income from taxable and nontaxable sources and increases the amount to $55,000 from $50,000. (Amended by Senate, Stricken Title)

STATUS: Second Reading – Referred to House Committee COMMITTEE(1): H Common Education SUMMARY: Requires the State Board of Education to align the standards for early childhood education programs with newly adopted standards.

STATUS: Second Reading – Referred to House Committee COMMITTEE(1): H Appropriations & Budget SUMMARY: Modifies eligibility for the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (OHLAP) to include admission to nonprofit universities offering online, competency-based degree programs located in the state as well as allowing awards for the program to be allocated to said nonprofit universities. (Amended by Senate, Emergency Measure)

STATUS: Second Reading – Referred to House Committee (ON AGENDA) COMMITTEE(1): H Appropriations & Budget 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: Second Reading – Referred to House Committee (ON AGENDA) SUMMARY: Beginning with the 2015-2016 school year, entitles 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 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 Senate, Stricken Title)

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STATUS: Second Reading – Referred to House Committee (ON AGENDA) COMMITTEE(1): H Common Education 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 Senate, Stricken Title)

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 Senate, Stricken Title)

STATUS: Second Reading – Referred to House Committee COMMITTEE(1): H Common Education 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 Senate, Committee Substitute)

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STATUS: Second Reading – Referred to House Committee (ON AGENDA) COMMITTEE(1): H Common Education SUMMARY: Beginning with the 2015-2016 school year, requires a student 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 Senate, Stricken Title, Committee Substitute)

HOUSE FLOOR AGENDA DATE: Monday, March 23rd TIME: 1:30PM Bills not yet posted to agenda.

SENATE FLOOR AGENDA DATE: Monday, March 23rd TIME: 1:30PM Bills not yet posted to agenda.

SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE DATE: Monday, March 23rd TIME: 9:00AM LOCATION: Room 535 CHAIR: Sen. John Ford VICE CHAIR: Sen. Ron Sharp

BILLS HB1058 by Rep. Dennis Casey & Sen. Jim Halligan HB1154 by Rep. John Montgomery & Sen. Don Barrington HB1268 by Rep. Dennis Casey & Sen. John Ford HB1330 by Rep. Ann Coody & Sen. Jack Fry HB1331 by Rep. Ann Coody & Sen. Frank Simpson HB1684 by Rep. Lee Denney & Sen. A J Griffin HB1685 by Rep. Lee Denney & Sen. Jim Halligan HB1687 by Rep. Lee Denney & Sen. Jim Halligan HB1696 by Rep. Lee Denney & Sen. Clark Jolley HB2049 by Rep. Jason Nelson & Sen.

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HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS & BUDGET, EDUCATION SUBCOMMITTEE DATE: Monday, March 23rd TIME: 10:30AM LOCATION: Room 412C CHAIR: Rep. Scott Martin VICE CHAIR: Rep. Katie Henke

BILLS SB0029 by Sen. Josh Brecheen & Rep. Lee Denney SB0239 by Sen. Ervin Yen & Rep. Doug Cox SB0505 by Sen Gary Stanislawski & Rep. Jason Nelson

HOUSE COMMON EDUCATION COMMITTEE DATE: Monday, March 23rd TIME: 3:00PM or AAI LOCATION: 412C CHAIR: Rep. Ann Coody VICE CHAIR: Rep. Michael Rogers

BILLS SB0630 by Sen. John Ford & Rep. Dennis Casey SB0706 by Sen. John Ford & Rep. Dennis Casey SB0711 by Sen. John Sparks & Rep. Lee Denney SB0784 by Sen. Clark Jolley & Rep. Lee Denney SB0785 by Sen. Clark Jolley & Rep. Lee Denney

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