State educational program.

2018
STATE OF WYOMING
18LSO-0275
ENGROSSED
2.1

HOUSE BILL

NO.
HB0053

State educational program.

Sponsored by:
Select Committee on School Finance Recalibration

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to education; amending the state's educational program relating to computer science and world cultures and languages; providing that computer science courses may satisfy certain high school graduation requirements and certain Hathaway scholarship requirements; providing applicability; requiring a report; and providing for effective dates.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section
1
.

W.S. 21
‑
2
‑
304(a)(iii)(C), 21
‑
9
‑
101(b)
(i)
(J),
(K) and
(iii)
(C
)
and
21
‑
16
‑
1307(b)(i)(D) and (d)(i)(D) are amended to read:

21
‑
2
‑
304
.

Duties of the state board of education.

(a)

The state board of education shall:

(iii)

By rule and regulation and in consultation and coordination with local school districts, prescribe uniform student content and performance standards for the common core of knowledge and the common core of skills specified under W.S. 21
‑
9
‑
101(b), and promulgate uniform standards for programs addressing the special needs of student populations specified under W.S. 21
‑
9
‑
101(c) that ensure these student populations are provided the opportunity to learn the common core of knowledge and skills as prescribed by the uniform student content and performance standards pursuant to this paragraph. Student content and performance standards prescribed under this paragraph shall include standards for graduation from any high school within any school district of this state. The ability to prescribe content and performance standards shall not be construed to give the state board of education the authority to prescribe textbooks or curriculum which the state board is hereby forbidden to do. Graduation standards imposed under this paragraph shall require the successful completion of the following components, as
evidenced by passing grades or by the successful performance on competency
‑
based equivalency examinations:

(C)

Three (3) school years of science
. O
ne (1) school year of computer science shall
be deemed to
satisfy one (1) year of this three (3) year requirement
; and

21
‑
9
‑
101
.

Educational programs for schools; standards; core of knowledge and skills; special needs programs; class size requirements; cocurricular activities.

(b)

Each school district within the state shall provide educational programs sufficient to meet uniform student content and performance standards at the level established by the state board of education in the following areas of knowledge and skills:

(i)

Common core of knowledge:

(J)

Career/vocational
/computer science
education;

(K)

Foreign
World

cultures and languages;

(iii)

Common core of skills:

(C)

Keyboarding
C
omputational thinking

and computer applications;

21
‑
16
‑
1307
.

Success curriculum; test standards.

(b)

The success curriculum required to qualify for honor or performance scholarship eligibility under this article for students graduating from high school in the 2018
‑
2019 school year and each school year thereafter shall be as follows:

(i)

Math – four (4) years of math to include those specified in subparagraphs (A) through (D) of this paragraph. Courses which are the functional equivalent of the specified courses, including courses taken before grade nine (9), may be used to satisfy the level of the requirements of subparagraphs (A) through (C) of this paragraph:

(D)

An additional math
or computer science
course taken in grades nine (9) through twelve (12).
A computer science course shall not satisfy a requirement of this paragraph if the computer science course is used to satisfy one (1) year of science under paragraph (iii) of this subsection.

(d)

The success curriculum required to qualify for opportunity scholarship eligibility under this article for students graduating from high school in the 2010
‑
2011 school year and each school year thereafter shall be as follows:

(i)

Math – four (4) years of math to include those specified in subparagraphs (A) through (D) of this paragraph. Courses which are the functional equivalent of the specified courses, including courses taken before grade nine (9), may be used to satisfy the level of the requirements of subparagraphs (A) through (C) of this paragraph:

(D)

An additional math
or computer science
course taken in grades nine (9) through twelve (12).
A
computer science course shall not satisfy a requirement of this paragraph if the computer science course is used to satisfy one (1) year of science under paragraph (iii) of this subsection.

Section
2
.

Amendments to W.S. 21
‑
2
‑
304 and 21
‑
16
‑
1307 contained in this act shall only apply to students graduating high school on or after July 1, 2018.

Section
3
.

By April 1, 2018, the
professional teaching standards b
oard shall report to the
l
egislature on its progress to promulgate rules and regulations to facilitate
the teaching of computer
science
in
the state's public schools
.

Section 4.

The state board of education shall promulgate uniform student content and performance standards for computer science before January 1, 2020.

Section
5
.

(a)

Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, t
his act is effective July 1, 201
8
.

(b)

Section 3 of this act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

(END)

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HB0053