Education-pupil teacher contact time.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on the consequences if schools do not comply with these rules.

Education Law for Pupil-Teacher Contact Time

This law requires the State Board of Education to set minimum amounts of time when students must be taught by teachers, including virtual education.

What This Bill Does

• Requires the State Board of Education to establish minimum pupil-teacher contact time requirements for grades kindergarten through twelve (12).
• Allows these rules to include instruction outside of the physical classroom, such as virtual education or other equivalent methods deemed appropriate by the state board.

Who It Names or Affects

• Students and teachers across Wyoming's public schools.
• The State Board of Education which must create these new rules.

Terms To Know

Pupil-teacher contact time

Time when students are taught by teachers, including both classroom and virtual instruction.

Limits and Unknowns

• The law does not specify exactly how much contact time is needed.
• It's unclear what methods the State Board will consider 'equivalent' to classroom teaching.

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 21LSO-0614
Bill No.:

SF0115

Effective:

7/1/2021 12:00:00 AM

LSO No.:

21LSO-0614

Enrolled Act No.:

SEA No. 0042

Chapter No.:

82

Prime Sponsor:

Kost

Catch Title:

Education-pupil teacher contact time.

Subject:

Pupil-teacher contact time.

Summary/Major Elements:

Current law specifies that the State Board of Education is required to approve any school district schedule that operates for fewer than one hundred seventy-five (175) days and provides that no schedule shall be approved which reduces pupil teacher contact time as defined by the State Board.

This act requires the State Board to define minimum pupil-teacher contact time requirements.

The act specifies that minimum pupil-teacher contact time may include instruction outside of the classroom, including through virtual education.
The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent.

While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.

Current Bill Text

21LSO-0614

ORIGINAL Senate

ENGROSSED
File No
.
SF0115

ENROLLED ACT NO. 42,

SENATE

SIXTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2021 General Session

AN ACT relating to education; requiring the state board of education to establish minimum amounts of pupil-teacher contact time; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1.

W.S. 21
‑
2
‑
304(b)(viii) is amended to read:

21
‑
2
‑
304.

Duties of the state board of education.

(b)

In addition to subsection (a) of this section and any other duties assigned to it by law, the state board shall:

(viii)

Approve or disapprove alternative scheduling for school districts requesting to operate for fewer than one hundred seventy
‑
five (175) days in school year, but no schedule shall be approved which reduces the
minimum
pupil
‑
teacher contact time defined by the state board
. The state board shall establish by rule for grades kindergarten through twelve (12) minimum pupil
‑
teacher contact time requirements, which may include instruction outside of the physical classroom through virtual education or other equivalent methods the state board deems appropriate
;

Section 2
.

This act is effective July 1, 2021
.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the Senate.

Chief Clerk

1