Archive: Education Task Force

  • Course Choice Program Act January 15, 2014

    Course Choice Program Act Summary The Course Choice Program created by this Act would allow students in public schools and public charter schools to enroll in online, blended, and face-to-face courses not offered by the student’s school, and would allow a portion of that student’s funding to flow to the course provider. This Act creates an authorization process for providers and identifies provider and course eligibility criteria. This Act requires course providers and the State Department of Education to regularly report on the key measurements of student success and enrollment. This Act gives the State Department of Education authority to […]

  • Student Achievement Backpack Act January 15, 2014

    Student Achievement Backpack Act Summary This bill provides access by a student’s parent or guardian or an authorized local education agency (LEA) user to the learning profile of a student from kindergarten through grade 12 in an electronic format known as a Student Achievement Backpack. Model Policy Section 1. {Title} (A) This Act shall be known as the “Student Achievement Backpack Act”  Section 2. {Definitions} (A) As used in this act: (1) “Authorized LEA user” means a teacher or other person who is: (a) employed by an LEA that provides instruction to a student; and (b) authorized to access data […]

  • K-12 Technology-Based Reading Intervention for English Learners Act January 15, 2014

    K-12 Technology-Based Reading Intervention for English Learners Act Summary The K-12 Technology-Based Reading Intervention for English Learners Act calls on the State Department of Education to implement a language development software program in grades K-12 to assist those identified as English Language Learners. Model Policy Section 1. Title. This Act shall be known as the “K-12 Technology-Based Reading Intervention for English Learners Act.” Section 2. (A) The State Department of Education shall initiate a request for proposal (RFP) to select at least one literacy and language development software program to be made available to all K-12 Students identified as an […]

  • Early Intervention Program Act January 15, 2014

    Early Intervention Program Act Summary This act creates an early intervention program, targeted to at-risk students. It requires the State Board of Education to select one or more technology providers, through a request for proposals process, to provide adaptive computer software for literacy or numeracy instruction, or both, and assessments for students in kindergarten through grade three. It also requires the State Board of Education to report final testing data regarding an interactive computer software program, including student-learning gains, to the Education Interim Committee and the governor. Model Policy Section 1. Title. This Act shall be known as the “Early […]

  • Informed Student Document Act October 11, 2013

    Informed Student Document Act Summary To aid students and their parents, the Informed Student Document Act would publish the following outcomes by which a state’s universities can be compared: “Sticker-price” tuition relative to other institutions Net price, after grants and scholarships, relative to other institutions Retention rate relative to other institutions Graduation rate relative to other institutions Average student debt relative to other institutions Loan repayment rates relative to other institutions Employment potential relative to other institutions. Average starting salaries for each academic major (gleaned from national employment surveys). In addition to posting this information online, all potential applicants to […]

  • Resolution on Title 1 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act October 11, 2013

    Resolution on Title 1 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act Model Policy Since 1965, the Title 1 programs of the federal Elementary & Secondary Education Act (ESEA) has failed to boost the academic achievement of the students the program purports to serve, WHEREAS, the federal involvement in education ties the hands of the states with mandates, paperwork, and bureaucracy, WHEREAS, Congress does not allow states to consolidate the funds in the Title 1 programs of ESEA program to help existing state reforms and in some cases hinders state reform, Now therefore be it resolved that: the {legislative body} of […]

  • The Collegiate Learning Assessment Act October 11, 2013

    The Collegiate Learning Assessment Act Summary This model policy requires public colleges and universities to administer the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) to all students during their freshman and senior years. The schools would also be required to publish the results, broken down by academic majors. The act focuses on transparency in student-learning outcomes as the first step toward raising public awareness about areas of academic strength and weakness in certain schools and majors. This would guide prospective students toward schools and majors shown to yield significant increases in learning. Model Policy Section 1. Title. This Act shall be known as […]

  • Student Data Accessibility, Transparency, and Accountability Act October 11, 2013

    Student Data Accessibility, Transparency, and Accountability Act Summary The Student Data Accessibility, Transparency, and Accountability Act would require the [State Board of Education/State Department of Education] to make publicly available an inventory and index of all data elements with definitions of individual student data fields currently in the statewide longitudinal data system. The [State Board of Education/State Department of Education] would be required to create a data security plan, ensuring compliance with federal and state data privacy laws and policies. Certain contracts would be required to include privacy and security provisions. A Chief Privacy Officer will be created within the […]

  • Honest Transcript Act October 11, 2013

    Honest Transcript Act Summary The Honest Transcript Act looks to correct grade inflation by requiring all public colleges and universities to include on student transcripts—alongside the individual grade the student received for each class—the average grade given by the professor for the entire class. This would help potential employers learn whether a given high grade-point average signifies superlative talent or merely that the student completed undemanding courses. The bill does not seek to make universities do anything differently; it only asks them to make transparent for students, parents, and taxpayers what it is they are doing. Model Policy Section 1. […]

  • The College Funding Accountability Act July 16, 2013

    The College Funding Accountability Act Summary The College Funding Accountability Act would require any college or university that accepts state funding to undergo an outside financial audit if a budget increase or tuition increase request is higher than the formula listed below. Model Policy {Title, enacting clause, etc.} Section 1. {Title} This Act may be cited as the College Funding Accountability Act. Section 2. {Definitions} (A) “College or University” means any school of secondary education that receives financial support from the state. (B) “Cost of Living” means the Consumer Price Index (all items) for the United States of America, or […]