21-2-204;

21-2-204;

(B) Consult with the advisory committee created under subsection (d) of this section with respect to the type and format of data to be reported and the administration of the system generally;

(C) Use existing data to establish longitudinal data systems as necessary for the statewide education accountability system.

(iii) Specify formats, uniform accounting standards, procedures and processes under which districts are required to account for and report data to the department. Electronic reporting shall be required wherever possible;

(iv) Recommend to the state superintendent proposed rules to improve the accuracy and reliability of data and the general efficiency of the operation of the school finance system, including requiring training for district personnel with respect to accounting and reporting related to the administration of the school finance system;

(v) Provide for the training of school district personnel with respect to rules, policies and procedures with which districts are required to comply in order for the department to administer the school finance system. The department may charge reasonable fees necessary to defray the costs of training;

(vi) Cooperate with and consult with other state agencies which have responsibilities related to the operation of the school finance system. This cooperation may include providing recommendations for modification to rules, practices and procedures of other agencies;

(vii) Ensure that comprehensive school finance system information is available in useful formats to state policymakers in both the executive and legislative branches of government, as well as to the school districts and the general public;

(viii) Assist the state superintendent in implementing W.S. 21-13-309(m)(v)(D) and assist districts with computations necessary for reporting student career and technical education participation and career and technical education instruction information;

(ix) Pursuant to W.S. 21-2-202(e), make the education resource block grant model available for public inspection.

(d) The state superintendent of public instruction shall establish an advisory committee consisting of not less than seven (7) members. This advisory committee shall have representatives from among Wyoming school districts, other state agencies involved in the administration of the school finance system, shall include the director of the department of audit or his designee, and shall include at least one (1) representative from the independent auditor community within the state. The committee shall meet at least twice annually and at the call of the state superintendent or his designee. The duties of the advisory committee are to:

(i) Recommend modifications to department rules, policies, practices and procedures to improve the accuracy of data and to improve the efficiency of the data collection process and the administration of the school finance system generally;

(ii) Since accurate, timely data is essential for fair administration of the school finance system, recommend rules or other means to ensure districts comply with data reporting and other requirements necessary for administration of the school finance system, including proposing modifications to subsection (e) of this section;

(iii) Serve as ongoing forum for communications between the department and school districts with respect to the administration of the school finance system.

(e) The following shall apply:

(i) Repealed by Laws 2020, ch. 24, § 2.

(ii) If a district fails to provide data or reports in compliance with law or rules regarding timeliness, format, completeness or accuracy, without good cause, the state superintendent shall:

(A) Advise the district's board of trustees of the noncompliance and require the district's board to submit a plan to correct the noncompliance and prevent future instances of noncompliance.

(B) Repealed by Laws 2005, ch. 99, § 2.

(C) Repealed By Laws 2005, ch. 99, § 2.

21-2-204. Wyoming Accountability in Education Act; statewide education accountability system created.

(a) This section shall be cited as the "Wyoming Accountability in Education Act."

(b) A statewide education accountability system shall be established by the state board through the department of education in accordance with this section, which implements the components of the education resource block grant model as defined by W.S. 21-13-101(a)(xiv) and as contained in Attachment "A" as defined under W.S. 21-13-101(a)(xvii). The first phase of this system shall be a school-based system that is based on student performance as determined through multiple measures of school performance. The goals of the Wyoming Accountability in Education Act are to:

(i) Repealed By Laws 2012, ch. 101, § 2.

(ii) Repealed By Laws 2012, ch. 101, § 2.

(iii) Become a national education leader among states;

(iv) Ensure all students leave Wyoming schools career or college ready;

(v) Recognize student growth and increase the rate of that growth for all students;

(vi) Recognize student achievement and minimize achievement gaps;

(vii) Improve teacher, school and district leader quality. School and district leaders shall include superintendents, principals and other district or school leaders serving in a similar capacity;

(viii) Maximize efficiency of Wyoming education;

(ix) Increase credibility and support for Wyoming public schools.

(c) School level performance shall be determined by measurement of performance indicators and attainment of student performance as specified by this section. To the extent applicable, each measure shall be aggregated to the school level based upon those grades served inclusive to each school as reported by the respective school district to the department of education. Except as provided in subsection (n) of this section, the indicators of school level performance shall be:

(i) Student longitudinal academic growth in English language arts and mathematics as measured by assessments administered under paragraph (ii) of this subsection, beginning in grade four (4) and for all subsequent grades for which a state summative achievement assessment is administered in the immediately preceding grade, including a standardized college readiness test in grade eleven (11);  (ii) Student academic achievement in English language arts, mathematics and science as measured by:

(A) The statewide assessment administered under W.S. 21-2-304(a)(v) in:

(I) English language arts and mathematics in grades three (3) through ten (10);

(II) Science in grades four (4), eight (8) and ten (10);

(III) Repealed by Laws 2015, ch. 99, § 2.

(B) Repealed by Laws 2017, ch. 95, § 5.

(iii) Repealed by Laws 2016, ch. 113, § 2.

(iv) Post secondary readiness, as defined to include college readiness and career readiness. School level performance shall be based upon the percentage of students meeting either college or career readiness. College readiness shall be measured by a standardized college entrance examination administered pursuant to W.S. 21-2-202(a)(xxx) in grade eleven (11) and other college readiness indicators as determined by the state board of education in consultation with the state superintendent. Career readiness shall be measured by student performance in accordance with other provisions of this title as determined by the state board of education in consultation with the state superintendent;

(v) Readiness, as defined by graduation or high school completion rates;

(vi) Readiness, as defined by ninth grade credit accumulation;

(vii) Equity as defined by a measure of academic student growth for students that score below the proficient standard in English language arts and mathematics, subject to a standard for academic progress that is linked to attainment of proficiency within a reasonable period of time. If a school is without a sufficient sequence of assessment scores to support growth computations, another approach to equity may be used subject to approval of the state superintendent;  (viii) English language proficiency as measured by student longitudinal progress on the Wyoming English language proficiency assessments used to evaluate and monitor the English language proficiency of students identified as English language learners.

(d) The department of education shall compute and report an overall school performance rating measured by student performance on those performance indicators specified under subsection (n) of this section for alternative schools and subsection (c) of this section for all other schools. Any school through its school district may seek informal review of any overall school performance rating or other performance determination in accordance with the following:

(i) Repealed By Laws 2012, Ch. 101, § 2.

(ii) Repealed By Laws 2012, Ch. 101, § 2.

(iii) Repealed By Laws 2012, Ch. 101, § 2.

(iv) Repealed by Laws 2015, ch. 179, § 3.

(v) Not later than fifteen (15) days after a school receives its overall performance rating or other performance determination from the department of education, the school district may seek an informal review with the state board. The state board shall make a final determination as to the overall performance rating or other performance determination within thirty (30) days after receipt of the request for review;

(vi) The state board shall promulgate rules and regulations governing the informal review process before the board as conducted under this subsection. The informal review process shall only examine whether the department properly computed and reported a school's overall performance rating or other performance determination or whether the school was unable to administer the statewide assessment. The state board may grant an exception to the state's accountability system requirements for a school for one (1) school year when the school demonstrates that it was unable to administer the statewide assessment for good cause. Except as otherwise provided by this paragraph, the informal review process shall not be used to grant exceptions to the state's accountability system or change components of the accountability model.  (e) The state board, through the department of education, shall establish long term and interim performance targets for all Wyoming schools for the indicators measured pursuant to subsections (c) and (n) of this section. The performance targets may be developed in consultation with one (1) or more advisory committees of education stakeholders. The state board shall utilize the performance targets in carrying out the duties and the deliberative process required under subsection (f) of this section.

(f) The state board, through the department of education, shall compile, evaluate and determine target levels for an overall school performance rating and for indicator level performance. The board shall execute this determination when a significant aspect of the school accountability system changes through a prescribed deliberative process informed by a panel selected by the state board comprised of broad based representation from both public education and the community at- large. The target levels for school performance shall be used by the state board through the department to:

(i) Identify four (4) levels of school performance tied to the overall school performance rating that demonstrate a range of performance levels as follows:

(A) Exceeding expectations including those schools performing above standards in all measured areas;

(B) Meeting expectations;

(C) Partially meeting expectations; and

(D) Not meeting expectations.

(ii) Further measure performance specified under paragraph (i) of this subsection by identifying indicator level performance in all areas specified by subsection (n) of this section for alternative schools and subsection (c) of this section for all other schools and from this analysis determine schools that are exceeding, meeting or are below targets in each content area;

(iii) Coordinate the target levels, school and indicator level determinations with the availability of the system of support, including comprehensive and targeted support and interventions administered in accordance with subsection (h) of this section.  (g) Repealed By Laws 2013, Ch. 195, § 4.

(h) For all schools a progressive system of support and intervention to assist schools shall be established by the state board through the department. The system shall increase the ability of schools and school districts to improve achievement and growth indicator performance and expand the ability for schools and school districts within the state to continuously improve. The system shall clearly identify and prescribe the actions for each level of support, including comprehensive and targeted support and intervention. The state superintendent shall take action based upon system results according to the following:

(i) Repealed By Laws 2012, Ch. 101, § 2.

(ii) Repealed By Laws 2012, Ch. 101, § 2.

(iii) Repealed by Laws 2017, Ch. 95, § 5.

(iv) Repealed by Laws 2017, Ch. 95, § 5.

(v) Schools designated as partially meeting expectations shall file an improvement plan with the school district superintendent and the department that identifies and addresses all content and indicator areas where performance is below target levels. The plan shall be based upon an evaluation of the strengths and deficiencies of specific indicator scores that identifies appropriate improvement goals with an explanation of the measures and methods chosen for improvement, the processes to be implemented to deliver the improvement measures, identification of relevant timelines and benchmarks and an articulation of the process for measuring success of the methods chosen to increase performance. The plan shall also include review of the design and implementation of the district's leader evaluation system developed pursuant to W.S.