May 24, 2016

CHEYENNE – On Friday, May 20 the Wyoming State Board of Education voted to move forward into the public comment period to promulgate rules for Wyoming’s new science standards, according to chairman Pete Gosar. All input from the initial public input period was reviewed at the State Board meeting in Laramie last week.

The following tentative timeline for next steps was presented by the Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) to the board at the meeting:

  • The science standards rules packet will be delivered to Governor Mead by June 1, and the Governor’s ten-day review period will follow.
  • Once this is complete, the WDE will open the next public comment period starting no later than June 20.
  • Wyoming citizens will have the opportunity to comment on the proposed standards for a minimum of 45 days on the WDE website. After this period, the WDE will gather all public comments and present them to the State Board of Education in September.

“We are grateful to the science standards taskforce and the Wyoming Department of Education for their dedication throughout this process,” said Gosar. “The board requested a thorough public input process, and the department’s standards’ team delivered. They’ve also begun drafting professional development plans and a transition framework for districts – an essential element to ensuring a successful rollout of the final standards.” The State Board of Education is responsible for approving Wyoming’s standards, the Department of Education rolls them out to districts and districts create local curricula that meet the rigor of the new standards.

During the meeting last week, the board also responded to the Select Committee on Statewide Education Accountability’s request for input into the second phase of accountability, focusing on teacher and leadership evaluations. The board chose to seek further input from its partners in education, namely the Wyoming Professional Teaching Standards Board, the Wyoming Association of School Administrators, and the University of Wyoming. These organizations are invited to attend the board’s meeting in June.

The board also voted to approve its meeting schedule for the next 13 months. These meetings are open to the public, and community members are encouraged to attend. Specific location details and agendas are posted on the board web site approximately 10 days before each meeting.

WYOMING STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING CALENDAR

2016

June 23-24 in Douglas

August 18-19 in Casper

September 21-23 in Sheridan/Buffalo

October 13-14 in Lander

November 18-19 in Casper

2017

January 19-20 in Cheyenne during legislative session

February 23-24 in Cheyenne during legislative session

March 23-24 in Wheatland

April 20-21 in Casper

May 18-19 in Riverton

June 22-23 in Sheridan

– END –

Media Contact: 
Paige Fenton Hughes
(307) 349-4506
paige.fentonhughes@gmail.com